Keira
Meaning
variant of Ciara, 'dark-haired'; popularized by actress Keira Knightley
The story
Keira is a spelling with a birth certificate of its own: the reference books file it as a variant of Ciara, the Irish dark-haired classic, and note that this spelling was popularized by the actress Keira Knightley. The record agrees on timing: about 1,390 in the 1990s, then 14,500 in the 2000s, her breakout decade, 13,400 in the 2010s, and 3,400 so far this decade. In our records it goes to girls about 33,800 to seven, beside Ciara at about 34,900 girls. Two spellings of one Irish sound now run neck and neck, and the newer one carries a film-credit explanation the older one never needed. However a family spells it, the name means the same dark-haired girl it meant in Ireland.
Popularity, 1890–2024
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Keira peaked in the 2000s and the 2010s in nearly equal measure.
See popularity in Brazil
Popularity in Brazil
45 people · the #71,575 first name in Brazil · median age 27
Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022
When you meet Keira
Most people given the name Keira in the United States are teenagers or young adults today.
Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.
The Keira deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Keira truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Keira fits with your family’s names and surname.
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