UK name, mostly boys
Kier
A Welsh name meaning "black".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2014. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Kier is mostly registered for boys in the UK records. People looking for Kier popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2014 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3362, with 5 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1997, with 18 births.
This profile covers 165 England and Wales registrations across 18 recorded years from 1996 to 2014. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, 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 28% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 194 living people in the UK are called Kier. 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 2015 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Kier ranked #3362 for boys in England and Wales in 2014, with 5 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1997, when 18 boys were registered as Kier.
- • Kier ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #686 in 2015.
- • About 194 living people in the UK are estimated to have Kier as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 94.8% of Kier registrations are for boys.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3362
2014
Births in 2014
5
Latest year
Peak year
1997
18 births
Estimated living
194
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Kier
In England and Wales birth records, Kier has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 94.8% of registrations are for boys and 5.2% 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.
Kier registered for boys
- Ranked #3,362 in 2014
- 5 boys registered in 2014
- Peak: 1997 (18 births)
Kier registered for girls
- Ranked #5,556 in 2009
- 3 girls registered in 2009
- Peak: 1998 (3 births)
Meaning
What does Kier mean?
The name Kier has its origins in the Old English language, dating back to the 5th century AD. It is derived from the Old English word "cière," which means "turn" or "curve." This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with someone who lived near a bend in a river or a curving path.
During the Anglo-Saxon period, the name Kier was primarily used in the regions that are now parts of England and Scotland. There are records of individuals bearing this name in various historical documents from that era, although its usage was not widespread.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kier can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears in several entries, indicating that individuals with this name held land or property during that time.
In the 12th century, a Scottish nobleman named Kier of Inchture was mentioned in the records of King William the Lion's reign. This suggests that the name had gained some prominence in Scotland by that period.
Throughout the medieval era, the name Kier was primarily associated with individuals of Anglo-Saxon or Scottish descent. It was not until the 16th century that the name began to spread more widely across Europe and beyond.
Notable historical figures who bore the name Kier include:
1. Kier Hardie (1856-1915), a Scottish politician and founder of the Labour Party in the United Kingdom. 2. Kier Byrne (1864-1935), an Australian cricketer who played for the national team in the late 19th century. 3. Kier Gildes (1890-1966), a British artist and sculptor known for his modernist works. 4. Kier Starmer (born 1962), a British politician and current leader of the Labour Party. 5. Kier Pollitt (born 1981), an American author and poet who has published several collections of poetry.
While the name Kier has ancient roots and a rich historical background, it has never been among the most common given names in any region. However, it has maintained a modest presence throughout the centuries, particularly in areas with strong Anglo-Saxon or Scottish cultural influences.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Kier over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Kier in England and Wales, from 1996 to 2014. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Kier, the clearest high point is 1997. The latest England and Wales figure is 5 births in 2014, compared with 18 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kier by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Kier 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | #3704 | 23 | 5 |
| 2000s | #2068 | 89 | 9 |
| 1990s | #1074 | 53 | 4 |
Geography
Where Kier is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Kier. 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.
Kier ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #686 in 2015.
Across the UK
Kier in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#686 in 2015
10 years of NRS records, 31 total registered
Related
Names similar to Kier
- Kieran 30,429
- Kyle 28,463
- Kai 24,432
- Kian 17,666
- Kayden 8,305
- Kevin 7,927
- Kane 7,149
- Kaiden 5,762
- Kieron 4,547
- Kacper 4,366
- Kye 4,012
- Kit 3,529
FAQ
Kier: questions and answers
How popular is the name Kier in the UK right now?
In 2014, Kier was ranked #3362 for boys in England and Wales, with 5 births registered.
When was Kier most popular?
The peak year on record was 1997, with 18 babies registered as Kier in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Kier?
A Welsh name meaning "black".
How many people are called Kier in the UK?
A total of 165 babies have been registered as Kier across the 18 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 31 more in Scotland.
Where is Kier most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Kier ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #686 in 2015. 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.