NameCensus.

UK name, mostly girls

Kiah

An English feminine name of Celtic origin meaning "Earth".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Kiah is mostly registered for girls in the UK records. People looking for Kiah popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3695, with 6 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2000, with 50 births.

This profile covers 692 England and Wales registrations across 28 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 12% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 711 living people in the UK are called Kiah. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Kiah ranked #3695 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 6 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2000, when 50 girls were registered as Kiah.
  • Kiah ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #344 in 1999.
  • About 711 living people in the UK are estimated to have Kiah as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
  • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 92.8% of Kiah registrations are for girls.

Latest rank (E&W)

#3695

2024

Births in 2024

6

Latest year

Peak year

2000

50 births

Estimated living

711

2026

Gender

Boy and girl registrations for Kiah

In England and Wales birth records, Kiah has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 7.2% of registrations are for boys and 92.8% are for girls.

These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.

93% girls
Boys54 (7.2%)Girls692 (92.8%)

Kiah registered for boys

  • Ranked #4,270 in 2024
  • 4 boys registered in 2024
  • Peak: 2002 (8 births)

Kiah registered for girls

  • Ranked #3,695 in 2024
  • 6 girls registered in 2024
  • Peak: 2000 (50 births)

Meaning

What does Kiah mean?

The name Kiah is believed to have its origins in ancient Hebrew and Arabic cultures. It is derived from the Hebrew word "Kiah," which means "strength" or "power," and the Arabic word "Qiya," which means "worthy" or "valuable."

In the Bible, Kiah is mentioned as the name of a person from the tribe of Gad, who was among those who settled in the land of Bashan during the time of Moses. This reference dates back to around the 13th century BCE.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Kiah can be found in ancient Egyptian records from the 26th Dynasty, which ruled from around 664 BCE to 525 BCE. There is a record of a person named Kiah who served as a high-ranking official during this period.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Kiah. One of the most famous was Kiah al-Salihi (1057-1121 CE), an Arab philosopher and scientist who made significant contributions to the fields of mathematics and astronomy.

Another notable figure was Kiah ibn Abi al-Hasan (1025-1090 CE), a renowned Islamic scholar and jurist from Baghdad. He was known for his expertise in Islamic law and his extensive writings on the subject.

In the 15th century, there was a prominent African ruler named Kiah Nzinga, who ruled over the Kingdom of Ndongo (present-day Angola) from 1455 to 1470 CE. She is remembered for her efforts to resist Portuguese colonization and defend her people's sovereignty.

During the 17th century, there was a Native American chief named Kiah, who led the Muskogee Creek tribe in what is now Georgia and Alabama. He played a significant role in the tribe's resistance against European encroachment and is remembered as a brave and skilled warrior.

In more recent times, Kiah Stokes (born 1994) is an American professional basketball player who has played in the WNBA for teams like the New York Liberty and the Las Vegas Aces. She was a standout player at the University of Connecticut and helped the team win two national championships.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Kiah over time

The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Kiah in England and Wales, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Kiah, the clearest high point is 2000. The latest England and Wales figure is 6 births in 2024, compared with 50 at the peak.

Babies born per year

BoysGirls
014284256199620102024

Decades

Kiah by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Kiah was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #3947 23 4
2010s #2575 110 10
2000s #800 393 10
1990s #610 166 4

Geography

Where Kiah is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Kiah. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Kiah ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #344 in 1999.

Northern Ireland
3
Scotland
3

Across the UK

Kiah in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#793 in 2008

6 years of NRS records, 20 total registered

Northern Ireland (NISRA)

#344 in 1999

1 years of NISRA records, 3 total registered

Related

Names similar to Kiah

FAQ

Kiah: questions and answers

How popular is the name Kiah in the UK right now?

In 2024, Kiah was ranked #3695 for girls in England and Wales, with 6 births registered.

When was Kiah most popular?

The peak year on record was 2000, with 50 babies registered as Kiah in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Kiah?

An English feminine name of Celtic origin meaning "Earth".

How many people are called Kiah in the UK?

A total of 692 babies have been registered as Kiah across the 28 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 20 more in Scotland and 3 in Northern Ireland.

Where is Kiah most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Kiah ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #344 in 1999. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.