Given name & surname
Kieran
“having dark features; the little dark one”
Kieran is used as a given name and a surname. One interpretation is “having dark features; the little dark one.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One interpretation is “having dark features; the little dark one.”
Where it comes from
Kieran comes from Irish, and ultimately from Sanskrit.
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
How it developed
In Irish use, Kieran is used as a form of Gaelic.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1918. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Kieran through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 19,218
- 17,613 boys · 1,605 girls
- Most popular year
- 2025
- 828 babies
- 2025
- 828
- #389 for boys · #9,184 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +18%
- Rising
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 97% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 817 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 389 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 19.9% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. It also appeared in 11 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (93). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 15,306 as a first name in 2020; 408 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Kieran’s family of names
Kieran has a feminine form in Kiera. In English usage, Kieran has a related form in Ciaran. In English usage, Kieran has a feminine form in Keira.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 22
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 5
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Kieran
- Kieran TrippierEnglish association football player (born 1990)
- Kieran GibbsEnglish association football player (born 1989)
- Kieran CulkinAmerican actor (born 1982)
- Kieran TierneyScottish association football player (born 1997)
- Kieran RichardsonEnglish association football player (born 1984)
- Kieran DowellEnglish association football playerborn 1997
- Four TetBritish musician and DJborn 1977
- Kieran SmithAmerican swimmerborn 2000
- Kieran McKennaassociation football manager (born 1986)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Kieran, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Killian
“a warrior woman; of the church” · “one who is small and fierce”
98% boys · 2% girls
Declan
In Irish use, Declan is used as a form of Gaelic.
99% boys · 1% girls
Cormac
“a charioteer”
>99% boys
Finn
“white, fair” · “one who is cool”
99% boys · 1% girls
Aidan
“one who is fiery; little fire” · “a fiery young man”
99% boys · 1% girls
Colmán
“dove”
>99% boys
Gareth
“one who is gentle”
>99% boys
Conchúr
“hound” · “desiring”
>99% boys