Keiran
Ciarán or Ciaran is a traditionally male given name of Irish and Scottish origin. It means "little dark one" or "little dark-haired one", produced by appending a diminutive suffix to ciar. It is the masculine version of the name Ciara.
- English
Meaning & Origin of Keiran
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Ciarán or Ciaran is a traditionally male given name of Irish and Scottish origin. It means "little dark one" or "little dark-haired one", produced by appending a diminutive suffix to ciar. It is the masculine version of the name Ciara.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Keiran
As a girl name
Keiran first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1998, with 6 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 2007: 18 births, good for #7,092 nationwide. The 2000s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 57% of all recorded Keirans. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 2015 (7 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 143 Keirans have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1990s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
American parents first put Keiran on the record books as a boy name in 1989, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2011, when 63 Keirans were born — ranking #2,105 that year. The 2010s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 40% of all recorded Keirans. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #5,714 among boy names with 16 births, falling sharply (-36%). In total, more than 1K Keirans have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1980s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Keiran
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Keiran. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Notable people named Keiran
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Ciarán Bairéad (1905–1976), Irish folklorist and scholar
- Ciarán Barry , Irish hurler
- Ciarán Bourke (1935–1988), Irish musician
- Ciarán Brennan (born 1956), Irish musician
- Ciarán Byrne (born 1994), Irish Australian rules footballer
- Ciarán Cannon (born 1965), Irish politician
- Ciarán Carey (born 1970), Irish hurling player
- Ciaran Carson (1948–2019), Northern Irish poet and playwright
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Keiran
Phonetically similar names — useful when Keiran is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Keiran
What does the name Keiran mean?
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How popular is Keiran in 2026?
When was Keiran most popular?
In which U.S. states is Keiran most popular?
Is Keiran a unisex name?
What names go well with Keiran?
What are nicknames or variants of Keiran?
About the name Keiran
Keiran is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1989 and has accumulated 1K births in the dataset. Keiran's peak popularity came in 2011 when it ranked #2,105. Use the chart and map above to compare Keiran's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2011 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- Names starting with "K" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.