Kieran is a boy name with a modern feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Kieran means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Kieran across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Kieran has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Kieran is a boy name of Irish (Gaelic) origin meaning “little dark one”. From the Irish name Ciaran.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 19,218 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 30,451 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 7,419 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 325 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 8,802 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 1,525 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Kieran per year, England & Wales (1996 to 2025). England & Wales peaked in 1996 (2,885/yr) · United States peaked in 2025 (828/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1995 (509/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1973 (283/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 1998 (28/yr).
Kieran has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 2025, when it ranked #768 nationally (given to 906 babies that year).
Karen · Karin · Karyn · Karon · Kaaren · Kyren · Karan · Karren
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