ESC 

Name Rank Total 

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1983

First Year

1993

Last Year

1983

Peak Year

#7310

Peak Rank

30

Total Count

5

Years Active

🌍

## Meaning & Origin of Kiel

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures. 

Kiel is a surname or given name. As first name it is an alternate spelling of Kyle (kahyl). It can be pronounced like "Kyle"

Source: [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiel%5F%28name%29) (CC BY-SA 3.0). [Read more → ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiel%5F%28name%29)

📖

## The Story of Kiel

American parents first put Kiel on the record books as a baby boy name in 1961, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1983, when 279 Kiels were born — ranking #502 that year. About 60% of every Kiel on record arrived during the 1980s, its defining decade. Kiel last appeared in the published SSA data in 2024, with 6 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 2K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1960s to the 2020s.

## Popularity Over Time

## Popularity by State

ME

WA

MT

ND

MN

WI

MI

NY

VT

NH

MA

OR

ID

SD

IA

IL

IN

OH

PA

NJ

CT

RI

CA

NV

WY

NE

MO

KY

WV

VA

MD

DE

DC

UT

CO

KS

AR

TN

NC

SC

AK

AZ

NM

OK

LA

MS

AL

GA

HI

TX

FL

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

🎶

## Names that sound like Kiel

Phonetically similar names — useful when Kiel is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name. 

* Keel
* [Keele](/keele)
* Keal
* [Keil](/keil)
* [Kele](/kele)
* Chiel
* Qil
* Cool
* Call
* [Coal](/coal)
* [Cal](/cal)
* [Cole](/cole)

Source: [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated. 

❓

## Frequently Asked Questions about Kiel

What does the name Kiel mean?

Kiel is a surname or given name. As first name it is an alternate spelling of Kyle (kahyl). It can be pronounced like "Kyle"

How popular is Kiel in 2026?

In 2026, Kiel ranks #10,889 among boys' names in the U.S., with 6 babies given the name that year.

When was Kiel most popular?

Kiel reached its peak popularity in 1983, ranking #502 that year with 279 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Kiel most popular?

Kiel has historically been most popular in Iowa, Idaho, Nebraska. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Kiel.

Is Kiel a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Kiel is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Kiel?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Kiel include Quintin, Aric, Stanford. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

## Similar Names

[👧EmilioPeak #7310](/emilio)[👧KathryPeak #7310](/kathry)[👧FalinaPeak #7310](/falina)[👧SwanPeak #7310](/swan)[👧DaviniaPeak #7310](/davinia)[👧TravondaPeak #7310](/travonda)[👧DejuanPeak #7310](/dejuan)[👧DenedraPeak #7310](/denedra)

## About the name Kiel 

Kiel is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1961 and has accumulated 2K births in the dataset. Kiel's peak popularity came in 1983 when it ranked #502\. Use the chart and map above to compare Kiel's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

### Continue exploring 

* [ Top names of 1983 → ](/year/1983)
* [ Names of the 1980s → ](/decade/1980s)
* [ Names starting with "K" → ](/letter/k)
* [ Browse all boy names → ](/names/boys)
* [ Top names of 2026 → ](/year/2026)

Data sources

* Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. [Social Security Administration ](https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/). 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 ](https://www.behindthename.com/) (used under their public API terms).
* Meaning prose and editorial summary — [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/) article extracts, licensed under [CC BY-SA 3.0 ](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/).
* Predicted nationality distribution — [Nationalize.io ](https://nationalize.io/).
* Phonetically similar names — [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/).

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.