Kieran

maleIrish; shares Ciaran's root, this being the more widely used English-world spelling of the two

The Anglicized form of Ciarán, itself a diminutive of Ciar ('black, dark') — the same underlying name as the cohort's own Ciaran, spelled via the more common English-world transliteration.

Origin: Irish; shares Ciaran's root, this being the more widely used English-world spelling of the two

Official popularity data is available for 6 regions, from 1964 to 2025. Highest recorded position: #26 in England and Wales in 1998. See regions.

Kieran: Recorded every year since 1964, it reached #26 in 1996, and it stood at #348 in 2025.

6registrars recorded it
150times a registrar ranked it
62years from first to last
#26highest recorded position
27groupings it qualifies for

What stands out in Kieran's record

Ranked every year since 1964, without a single year missing. Names by continuity of record
Held a top-100 place for 47 years running. Names by top-100 run
England and Wales registered 2,882 births with the name in 1996, its largest count from any one registrar. Names by yearly birth count
Moved 163 places between two consecutive years — its largest recorded change. Names by largest single-year move

KEER-un/ˈkɪɹ.ən/

Compare Kieran Run Name Checker on Kieran

Data Confidence

Evidence: HighCompleteness: CompleteEditorial review: 2026-07-21

Confidence in the evidencebehind this name's data — never a rating of the name itself, and never affected by how well it matches your preferences. How this is assessed

Because: backed by officially or academically authoritative sources, recently verified, popularity data covers multiple regions.

Source authority

Averaged from the real per-claim source-authority assessments already computed for this name's meaning/origin/pronunciation/popularity evidence.

Independent corroboration

Averaged from the real per-claim supporting-source counts already computed for this name's evidence.

See full evidence assessment (8 dimensions, 1 not yet tracked)

Source agreement

No recorded source disagreement for this name's meanings or origins.

Recency

Calculated from how long ago this record was last verified (2026-07-21), against a 270-day staleness threshold.

Geographic relevance

Calculated from the number of geographies with official popularity data (6) — broader official coverage means the evidence base is relevant to more of where the name is actually used.

Completeness

Calculated from how many of the expected data sections (variants, similar names, popularity, notable usage, IPA pronunciation) are actually populated for this name.

Direct observation vs. inference

Averaged from the real per-claim direct-observation-vs-inference ratios already computed for this name's evidence.

Identity & variant resolution quality

Cross-source identity and variant resolution requires HEKNO Knowledge, which isn't connected yet.

Name Characteristics

How these are calculated

Descriptive attributes of the name itself — not a confidence measurement, and not an overall quality score. Namewise doesn't approve or disapprove of names.

Pronunciation clarity

Editorial judgement of how consistently this name is pronounced correctly on first read, mapped from an easy/moderate/variable rating to a number. Describes the name — not a measure of evidence confidence.

Spelling simplicity

Calculated directly from the name's spelling: shorter names with fewer irregular letter clusters score higher. A disclosed formula, not an editorial opinion — and not a confidence measurement.

Recorded regional spread

Derived from how many geographies' official statistics record this name. It measures where the name is registered, not how well-known it feels to people living there.

International spread

Derived from the same official statistical coverage, scaled to reflect how widely the name crosses national datasets. Not a measure of how easily it is understood in another language.

Trend stability

Derived from the name's traditional/modern classification and its current popularity trend direction.

Overview

Origin: Irish; shares Ciaran's root, this being the more widely used English-world spelling of the two
Meaning: The Anglicized form of Ciarán, itself a diminutive of Ciar ('black, dark') — the same underlying name as the cohort's own Ciaran, spelled via the more common English-world transliteration.
Pronunciation: KEER-un
Syllables: 2
Common nicknames: None recorded
Classification: Traditional & modern
Gender usage: male
Language family: Irish; shares Ciaran's root, this being the more widely used English-world spelling of the two

Popularity

Region

Falling

among girls in England and Wales · 1996–2004

View as table

England and Wales · Girls rank by year
Year	Rank
1996	#3795
1997	#1543
1998	#3848
1999	#3900
2000	#3247
2004	#4598

VerifiedSource: Office for National Statistics — Baby Names in England and Wales.Confidence: high.

See all England and Wales names · Source: Office for National Statistics — Baby Names in England and Wales

What the data shows

FallingEngland and Wales · Girls

Recorded in official data among boys in Republic of Ireland in every year from 1964 to 2025.

In 2025: #348 among boys in Republic of Ireland, #639 among boys in England and Wales.

Official data from 6 national registrars across 6 regions, 1964–2025 · Office for National Statistics. Data sources

Popularity journey

First recorded1964
First recorded at #32 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #639 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys

Kieran appears in 6 of the published lists Namewise holds. The longest record is Republic of Ireland · Boys, which has ranked it in 62 years beginning in 1964, and has registered 8,802 births with the name.

Kieran across 6 official records

Each registrar publishes its own list, so these figures are read down a row, never across one. A position in one country is not comparable with a position in another, and Namewise never combines them into a single ranking. The birth counts do not compare across rows either, for a different reason: England and Wales registers roughly thirty times as many births a year as Northern Ireland, so a larger total says which registrar recorded it as much as how widely the name was given.

Kieran's first, highest and most recent recorded position in each official list, with the number of births each registrar registered with the name and its largest single year
Published list	First recorded	Highest	Most recent	Years recorded	Births registered	Most in one year
Republic of Ireland · Boys	#32 (1964)	#28 (1967)	#348 (2025)	62 of 62	8,802 (1964–2025)	283 (1973)
England and Wales · Boys	#26 (1996)	#26 (1996)	#639 (2025)	30 of 30	30,486 (1996–2025)	2,882 (1996)
Northern Ireland · Boys	#94 (1997)	#90 (1998)	#395 (2023)	26 of 27	325 (1997–2023)	28 (1998)
New Zealand · Boys	#84 (1983)	#48 (1987)	#88 (2000)	18 of 18	1,525 (1983–2000)	123 (1995)
England and Wales · Girls	#3795 (1996)	#1543 (1997)	#4598 (2004)	6 of 9	27 (1996–2004)	11 (1997)
New South Wales, Australia · Boys	#91 (1989)	#74 (1994)	#88 (1995)	7 of 7	700 (1989–1995)	123 (1992)

Kieran by decade in Republic of Ireland · Boys

Births registered with the name in each decade of this one list, with the number of years the list covers in that decade. Bars are scaled on births a year, which is the figure that compares between decades — a decade the list only partly covers has a smaller total without being a quieter decade. Figures belong to this registrar alone and do not carry to another.

Births registered with Kieran in Republic of Ireland · Boys, by decade, with years covered and the average per year
Decade	Births registered	Years covered	A year
1960s	1,450	6 of 10	242
1970sbusiest	2,596	10 of 10	260
1980s	2,261	10 of 10	226
1990s	1,314	10 of 10	131
2000s	782	10 of 10	78
2010s	317	10 of 10	32
2020s	82	6 of 10	14

Across Republic of Ireland · Boys, the 1970s were its busiest decade, averaging 260 births a year.

Its sharpest single-year move came between 1967 and 1968, when recorded births fell by 79, from 275 to 196.

See the names Republic of Irelandhas recorded the most births with →

Kieran appears in

Groupings this name qualifies for under their own stated rules, from the same official statistics shown above.

What the record shows

Recorded by 6 registrars between 1964 and 2025, ranked in 62 years of that period.

Its highest recorded position is #26, first reached in 1996.

It held a top-100 place in 47 years, 47 of them consecutive.

Its largest count from any one registrar is 2,882 births, registered in England and Wales in 1996.

1 registrar publishes it in more than one category list, holding a place in each for at least five years — an observation about those lists rather than about the name.

A second registrar first ranked it in 1983, and 60 years separate the first registrar to record it from the last.

Every figure here is counted from the seven official registrars Namewise holds. A position is only ever a place within the list that published it, and a record that thins or stops is a fact about what registrars printed — never about how many children received the name.

Kieran was ranked #26 in England and Wales · Boys in 1996. These are the names immediately either side of it on that published list — a fact about the registrar's own output, not a similarity judgement.

Where to go next

Records with a comparable body of evidence, so the catalogue can be read outward from this one. Each group states the rule it was selected by.

Next in the catalogue

The records either side of this one alphabetically.

Kielan · #390, 22y
Kiera · #91, 50y
Kiernan · #155, 23y
Kieron · #100, 48y

A comparable record

Records held by the same 6 registrars, over a similar number of ranked years, whose highest position is closest to this one. A similar body of evidence — never a claim that the names themselves are alike.

Hamish · #25, 61y
Lara · #25, 58y
Maeve · #25, 62y
Jeremy · #24, 61y

Also first recorded in the 1960s

Records whose earliest ranking in Namewise's registrar data also falls between 1960 and 1969.

Brigid · #26, 58y
Eimear · #26, 62y
Julian · #26, 62y
Aine · #27, 62y

Kieran and the names beside it

Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale, in the same year, by the same registrar — so these are positions that genuinely passed each other, not a similarity judgement. Drawn from the 2,577 names with a recorded popularity standing (common, familiar, uncommon), so a name outside that set could have passed Kieran without appearing here.

Kieran moved ahead of

Noel
In 2024 they stood at #394 and #394 in Republic of Ireland · Boys; by 2025 that had become #348 and #402.
Craig
In 1991 they stood at #65 and #62 in New Zealand · Boys; by 1992 that had become #60 and #90.
Beau
In 1991 they stood at #89 and #73 in New South Wales, Australia · Boys; by 1992 that had become #76 and #98.
Dean
In 1983 they stood at #84 and #60 in New Zealand · Boys; by 1984 that had become #69 and #82.

Moved ahead of Kieran

Rian
In 2020 they stood at #420 and #475 in England and Wales · Boys; by 2021 that had become #605 and #352.
Hamish
In 2020 they stood at #420 and #436 in England and Wales · Boys; by 2021 that had become #605 and #401.
Sean
In 2020 they stood at #420 and #509 in England and Wales · Boys; by 2021 that had become #605 and #412.
Oisin
In 2020 they stood at #420 and #766 in England and Wales · Boys; by 2021 that had become #605 and #433.

Moved the opposite way to Kieran

Alexander
Between 1964 and 2025 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Kieran went from #32 to #348 while Alexander went from #116 to #55.
Benjamin
Between 1964 and 2025 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Kieran went from #32 to #348 while Benjamin went from #139 to #83.
Conor
Between 1964 and 2025 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Kieran went from #32 to #348 while Conor went from #56 to #16.
Luke
Between 1964 and 2025 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Kieran went from #32 to #348 while Luke went from #105 to #23.

Moved the same way as Kieran

Alfred
Between 1964 and 2025 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Kieran went from #32 to #348 and Alfred from #134 to #286.
Edward
Between 1964 and 2025 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Kieran went from #32 to #348 and Edward from #18 to #125.
Frank
Between 1964 and 2025 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Kieran went from #32 to #348 and Frank from #164 to #286.
George
Between 1964 and 2025 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Kieran went from #32 to #348 and George from #52 to #112.

Meaning & Origin

The Anglicized form of Ciarán, itself a diminutive of Ciar ('black, dark') — the same underlying name as the cohort's own Ciaran, spelled via the more common English-world transliteration.

VerifiedSource: Behind the Name.Confidence: medium.

Irish; shares Ciaran's root, this being the more widely used English-world spelling of the two

VerifiedSource: Behind the Name.Confidence: medium.

Other names with a researched meaning and origin →

Where Kieran is officially recorded

6 official registrars have recorded Kieran, between 1964 and 2025. Each registrar publishes for its own population on its own methodology, so the positions below are each one country's own ranking and are not comparable with one another.

Registrar	Recorded	Years	Its own highest position
Republic of Ireland	1964–2025	62	#28 in 1967
New Zealand	1983–2000	18	#48 in 1987
New South Wales, Australia	1989–1995	7	#74 in 1994
England and Wales	1996–2025	30	#26 in 1996
Northern Ireland	1997–2023	26	#90 in 1998
Scotland	2024	1	#246 in 2024

Its high point came 57 years earlier in Republic of Ireland (1967) than in Scotland (2024).

Variants

Ciarán · spelling
Kieron · spelling
Kyran · spelling
Keiran · spelling

Similar Names

No similar names recorded yet for this name.

Similarity is a demonstration score — see methodology.

Spelling

Spelling simplicity

Calculated directly from the name's spelling — see Name Characteristics above.

Common alternate spellings: Ciarán, Kieron, Kyran, Keiran.

Pronunciation

KEER-un/ˈkɪɹ.ən/

Syllables: 2
Ease: easy

VerifiedSource: Behind the Name.Confidence: medium.

Where Kieran Is Recorded

National statistical agencies have recorded Kieran in these places. This shows where the name is used — not where it comes from, and not that it carries particular cultural significance there.

New South Wales, AustraliaEngland and WalesNorthern IrelandScotlandRepublic of IrelandNew Zealand

Notable Usage

No safely-sourced notable usage recorded for this name yet.

Sibling & Surname Compatibility

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Kieran

Kieran at a glance

What stands out in Kieran's record

Overview

Popularity

What the data shows

Popularity journey

Kieran across 6 official records

Kieran by decade in Republic of Ireland · Boys

Kieran appears in

What the record shows

Names published alongside Kieran

Where to go next

Next in the catalogue

A comparable record

Also first recorded in the 1960s

Kieran and the names beside it

Kieran moved ahead of

Moved ahead of Kieran

Moved the opposite way to Kieran

Moved the same way as Kieran

Meaning & Origin

Where Kieran is officially recorded

Variants

Similar Names

Spelling

Pronunciation

Where Kieran Is Recorded

Notable Usage

Sibling & Surname Compatibility

Kieran at a glance

What stands out in Kieran's record

Kieran across 6 official records

Kieran by decade in Republic of Ireland · Boys

Kieran appears in

What the record shows

Names published alongside Kieran

Where to go next

Next in the catalogue

A comparable record

Also first recorded in the 1960s

Kieran and the names beside it

Kieran moved ahead of

Moved ahead of Kieran

Moved the opposite way to Kieran

Moved the same way as Kieran