Kieran
Say it: KEER-an
BoyIrishMeans little dark one6 letters2 syllables
#348
in Ireland (2025)
#336 with spellings combined
11
babies in 2025
#28
best rank (1967)
8,802
babies since 1964
Down 142
10-year rank change
Kieran through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (boys) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 11 | #336 |
| 2024 | 9 | #379 |
| 2023 | 12 | #319 |
| 2022 | 12 | #338 |
| 2021 | 28 | #186 |
| 2020 | 10 | #369 |
| 2019 | 20 | #235 |
| 2018 | 18 | #259 |
| 2017 | 25 | #220 |
| 2016 | 30 | #190 |
| 2015 | 29 | #194 |
| 2014 | 30 | #193 |
| 2013 | 42 | #152 |
| 2012 | 25 | #227 |
| 2011 | 46 | #152 |
| 2010 | 52 | #142 |
| 2009 | 44 | #149 |
| 2008 | 69 | #112 |
| 2007 | 75 | #94 |
| 2006 | 60 | #104 |
| 2005 | 70 | #90 |
| 2004 | 89 | #73 |
| 2003 | 87 | #72 |
| 2002 | 94 | #69 |
| 2001 | 85 | #72 |
| 2000 | 109 | #60 |
| 1999 | 81 | #73 |
| 1998 | 81 | #67 |
| 1997 | 127 | #60 |
| 1996 | 108 | #65 |
| 1995 | 126 | #60 |
| 1994 | 134 | #54 |
| 1993 | 137 | #55 |
| 1992 | 158 | #52 |
| 1991 | 184 | #45 |
| 1990 | 178 | #47 |
| 1989 | 191 | #40 |
| 1988 | 178 | #45 |
| 1987 | 235 | #39 |
| 1986 | 214 | #43 |
| 1985 | 221 | #45 |
| 1984 | 224 | #46 |
| 1983 | 230 | #45 |
| 1982 | 245 | #45 |
| 1981 | 260 | #42 |
| 1980 | 263 | #46 |
| 1979 | 268 | #38 |
| 1978 | 241 | #41 |
| 1977 | 266 | #36 |
| 1976 | 241 | #41 |
| 1975 | 236 | #42 |
| 1974 | 277 | #35 |
| 1973 | 283 | #34 |
| 1972 | 241 | #41 |
| 1971 | 273 | #32 |
| 1970 | 270 | #30 |
| 1969 | 260 | #31 |
| 1968 | 196 | #38 |
| 1967 | 275 | #28 |
| 1966 | 243 | #32 |
| 1965 | 252 | #31 |
| 1964 | 224 | #32 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.
★ What does Kieran mean?
Little dark one
An English form of the Irish Ciarán, from ciar (dark) with the small ending -án.
Say it right
KEERan
Some say KEER-awn, closer to the Irish Ciarán.
Not:KY-ran
The story of Kieran
Kieran is the English spelling of the Irish Ciarán. The Irish name is built on ciar, meaning dark or black, with the small ending -án, so it means “little dark one”, probably first said of someone with dark hair. Ciara is the matching girls’ name. Outside Ireland, Kieran is sometimes also used as a form of the Indian name Kiran, a different name meaning a ray of light.
Two early Irish saints were called Ciarán: Ciarán of Clonmacnoise, and Ciarán of Saighir, often counted among the first saints of Ireland.
The CSO counts Kieran and Ciarán separately. Kieran was a strong name in Ireland when the records begin, and it reached number 28 in 1967. Its biggest year was 1973, with 283 boys. It stayed in the top 50 until the early 1990s and has since given way to the Irish spelling. In Northern Ireland its highest place was 90th, in 1998.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wiktionary: Kieran (English proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Ciarán
- CSO VSA50, Boys Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
- NISRA, Baby Names in Northern Ireland
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Kieran | 11 | 8,802 |
In Northern Ireland
#395 in 2025 with 3 babies. Best rank #90 (1998); 328 babies since 1997.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.