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Kira

Meaning, origin and pronunciation, with published usage by place and year.

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Meaning

Black or dark in the Irish-related tradition; lady in one Greek Kyra-related tradition.

The Irish route is Kira → Ciara → Ciaran/Ciarán, from ciar (black). Another documented route is Kira → Kyra → Medieval Greek kyrá (lady). The Cyra/Cyrus and Russian/Persian routes are distinct, and no universal meaning is assigned to them here. Original licensed sunshine and dark lady glosses remain pending, not silently combined.

Origin

Irish, Greek Kyra-related and Russian/Persian-related traditions.

The exact Kira entry records Ciara and Kyra relationships and a Russian route with Persian ancestry. The linked Kyra entry additionally documents a Medieval Greek kyrá route or Cyra/Cyrus formation. These distinct histories are retained; the intended route depends on family tradition.

English pronunciation

/kiːrə/, /kɪrə/

Recorded English readings for this exact entry, which explicitly documents given-name use. Approximate respelling by Rare Baby Names; family and regional readings may differ.

Recorded English reading, as published. Accents and preferred pronunciations can differ.

Published name usage

Counts apply only to the exact spelling, place, year and recorded usage shown. Places are separate; these figures are never added into a worldwide total. Missing or suppressed records never mean zero.

Latest published record available for this spelling in each place and recorded usage
PlaceYearRecorded usagePublished birthsRankNotes
Canada2025Girls113 · preliminary2782025 figures are preliminary. Quebec counts below five are randomly imputed by the publisher before national aggregation. Accents are removed in the source; this profile was matched only where the catalog spelling was unambiguous. Unpublished values are unknown, not zero. Rank basis: source published.
France2025Girls45 (rounded to 5)859Counts are rounded to the nearest multiple of five. Ranks use unrounded publisher counts with randomly ordered ties; equally rounded counts can have different ranks. National coverage excludes Mayotte before 2012. Missing years are unavailable, not zero. Automated direction labels are withheld for this rounded-count series. Rank basis: source published.
France2022Boys5 (rounded to 5)5538Counts are rounded to the nearest multiple of five. Ranks use unrounded publisher counts with randomly ordered ties; equally rounded counts can have different ranks. National coverage excludes Mayotte before 2012. Missing years are unavailable, not zero. Automated direction labels are withheld for this rounded-count series. Rank basis: source published.
England & Wales2025Girls89451Published ranks differ from ranks calculated over visible rows. Counts retained; automated trend labels withheld. Rank basis: source published.
Northern Ireland2019Girls6263Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: source published.
Scotland2025Girls4632Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: source published.
Ireland2025Girls12325Names below three occurrences are unpublished. Accent recording changed in 2018; comparisons across that boundary may not describe the same spelling coverage. Counts refer to registrations in the year. Missing years are unavailable, not zero. Rank basis: source published.
United States2025Girls801385Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: calculated from published counts.
United States2005Boys511472Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: calculated from published counts.

Canada, Ireland and France coverage includes confidently matched existing profiles only; unmatched spellings are awaiting review. French counts are rounded to five.

Sources & notes

Open an entry for its source, credit, licence and full qualifications. Different name traditions remain separate.

Meaning: Black or dark in the Irish-related tradition; lady in one Greek Kyra-related tradition.

Checked against cited source

The Irish route is Kira → Ciara → Ciaran/Ciarán, from ciar (black). Another documented route is Kira → Kyra → Medieval Greek kyrá (lady). The Cyra/Cyrus and Russian/Persian routes are distinct, and no universal meaning is assigned to them here. Original licensed sunshine and dark lady glosses remain pending, not silently combined.

Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.

View original source

This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

CC BY-SA 4.0

Origin: Irish, Greek Kyra-related and Russian/Persian-related traditions.

Checked against cited source

The exact Kira entry records Ciara and Kyra relationships and a Russian route with Persian ancestry. The linked Kyra entry additionally documents a Medieval Greek kyrá route or Cyra/Cyrus formation. These distinct histories are retained; the intended route depends on family tradition.

Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.

View original source

This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

CC BY-SA 4.0

English pronunciation: /kiːrə/, /kɪrə/

Checked against cited source

Recorded English readings for this exact entry, which explicitly documents given-name use. Approximate respelling by Rare Baby Names; family and regional readings may differ.

Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.

View original source

This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

CC BY-SA 4.0

Supporting evidence: Ciara · Irish-related formation

Checked against cited source

Supporting entry for the separate cultural routes summarized above; linked source credited to Wiktionary contributors and adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.

View original source

This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

CC BY-SA 4.0

Supporting evidence: Ciarán · Irish ciar root

Checked against cited source

Supporting entry for the separate cultural routes summarized above; linked source credited to Wiktionary contributors and adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.

View original source

This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

CC BY-SA 4.0

Supporting evidence: Ciaran · link to Irish Ciarán

Checked against cited source

Supporting entry for the separate cultural routes summarized above; linked source credited to Wiktionary contributors and adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.

View original source

This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

CC BY-SA 4.0

Supporting evidence: Kyra · Greek and Cyra/Cyrus histories

Checked against cited source

Supporting entry for the separate cultural routes summarized above; linked source credited to Wiktionary contributors and adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.

View original source

This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

CC BY-SA 4.0

Syllables: 2 (recorded English readings)

Checked against cited source

Editorial count for the cited English IPA readings only; other language and family readings may differ.

Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.

View original source

This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

CC BY-SA 4.0

Spelling variant: Ciara

Checked against cited source

The entry records distinct Kyra-related and Irish Ciara-related formations. This spelling relationship depends on tradition; popularity statistics remain separate.

Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.

View original source

This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

CC BY-SA 4.0

Spelling variant: Kyra

Checked against cited source

The entry records distinct Kyra-related and Irish Ciara-related formations. This spelling relationship depends on tradition; popularity statistics remain separate.

Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.

View original source

This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

CC BY-SA 4.0

country_CA

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country_FR

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country_IE

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Source: NISRA : Website: www.nisra.gov.uk

Attribution: Source: NISRA : Website: www.nisra.gov.uk

License: Open Government Licence v3.0

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(C) Crown copyright. Data supplied by National Records of Scotland.

Attribution: (C) Crown copyright. Data supplied by National Records of Scotland.

License: Open Government Licence v3.0

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Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence

Attribution: Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence

License: Open Government Licence v3.0

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U.S. Social Security Administration

Attribution: U.S. Social Security Administration

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Statistics Canada, Table 17-10-0147-01, 1991–2025, released 23 September 2026.

Credit: Statistics Canada, Table 17-10-0147-01, 1991–2025, released 23 September 2026.

License: Statistics Canada Open Licence

Adaptation: Adapted from Statistics Canada, First names at birth by sex at birth, selected indicators, Table 17-10-0147-01, reference years 1991–2025. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.

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Central Statistics Office, Ireland, VSA50 and VSA60, updated 27 February 2026.

Credit: Central Statistics Office, Ireland, VSA50 and VSA60, updated 27 February 2026.

License: CC BY 4.0

Adaptation: Adapted by Rare Baby Names: joined the published count and rank indicators and matched unambiguous existing spellings. Source values retained.

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Source : Insee, Fichier des prénoms, updated 16 July 2026.

Credit: Source : Insee, Fichier des prénoms, updated 16 July 2026.

License: Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab)

Adaptation: Adapted by Rare Baby Names: column names and sex codes mapped and unique case-only spellings matched to existing profiles. Published rounded counts and ranks retained.

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