Kieren
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.
Meaning & Origin of Kieren
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 →
The Story of Kieren
As a girl name
Kieren first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1990, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2010, when 14 Kierens were born — ranking #8,270 that year. As of 2026, Kieren ranks #14,553 for girls with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 118 Kierens have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1990s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Kieren first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1990, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2011, when 28 Kierens were born — ranking #3,695 that year. As of 2026, Kieren ranks #6,175 for boys with 14 births, gradually falling (-13%). In total, more than 530 Kierens have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1990s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Kieren
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 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
- Ciaran Clark (born 1989), Irish footballer
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Kieren
Phonetically similar names — useful when Kieren 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 Kieren
What does the name Kieren mean?
How popular is Kieren in 2026?
When was Kieren most popular?
In which U.S. states is Kieren most popular?
Is Kieren a unisex name?
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About the name Kieren
Kieren is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1990 and has accumulated 530 births in the dataset. Kieren's peak popularity came in 2011 when it ranked #3,366. Use the chart and map above to compare Kieren'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.