NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Kieron

An Irish name derived from "Ciar", meaning "dark" or "black-haired".

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.

Kieron is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Kieron popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2671, with 8 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2002, with 488 births.

This profile covers 4,547 England and Wales registrations across 29 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 2% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 4,976 living people in the UK are called Kieron. 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

  • Kieron ranked #2671 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 8 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2002, when 488 boys were registered as Kieron.
  • Kieron ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #403 in 2012.
  • About 4,976 living people in the UK are estimated to have Kieron as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#2671

2024

Births in 2024

8

Latest year

Peak year

2002

488 births

Estimated living

4,976

2026

Meaning

What does Kieron mean?

The name Kieron has its origins in the Irish language, derived from the Gaelic word "ciar," which means "dark" or "black." It is a variant spelling of the more common Irish name Ciaran, which also has the same meaning. The name has been in use for centuries and is closely associated with Irish culture and heritage.

During the early medieval period, the name Kieron gained popularity in Ireland, particularly among the monastic communities. One of the earliest and most notable figures to bear this name was Saint Ciaran of Clonmacnoise, who lived in the 6th century AD. He was the founder of the famous Clonmacnoise monastery and is revered as one of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland.

Another historical figure with the name Kieron was Ciaran of Saighir, also known as Saint Ciaran the Elder, who lived in the 5th century AD. He was an Irish monk and is considered one of the Patron Saints of Ireland, particularly associated with the county of Ossory.

In the 9th century, a notable bearer of the name was Ciaran of Beannchar, an Irish abbot and scholar who was known for his extensive knowledge of the Scriptures and his contributions to the monastic tradition in Ireland.

Moving forward in time, one of the most famous individuals with the name Kieron was Kieron Dyer, an English professional football player who was born in 1978. He had a successful career, playing for clubs like Newcastle United and West Ham United, as well as representing the English national team.

Another notable figure was Kieron Pollard, a West Indian cricketer born in 1987. He is a versatile all-rounder and has represented the West Indies in all formats of the game, playing a crucial role in the team's success in various international tournaments.

While the name Kieron is more commonly found in Ireland and among the Irish diaspora, it has gained popularity in other parts of the world as well, particularly in English-speaking countries. However, its roots and cultural significance remain deeply embedded in the Irish heritage and tradition.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Kieron over time

The chart below shows babies named Kieron registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, 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 Kieron, the clearest high point is 2002. The latest England and Wales figure is 8 births in 2024, compared with 488 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Kieron
0122244366488199620102024

Decades

Kieron by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Kieron 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 #2902 36 5
2010s #915 492 10
2000s #182 2,800 10
1990s #131 1,219 4

Geography

Where Kieron is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Kieron. 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.

Kieron ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #403 in 2012.

Scotland
4
Northern Ireland
3

Across the UK

Kieron in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#602 in 2017

42 years of NRS records, 454 total registered

Northern Ireland (NISRA)

#403 in 2012

8 years of NISRA records, 27 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Kieron

  • Kieron Bowie

    association football player

    Scottish association football player

    2002-

  • Kieron Williamson

    painter

    British painter

    2002-

  • Kieron Garcia

    association football player; futsal player

    Gibraltarian association football player

    1998-

  • Kieron Moore

    actor; television actor; boxer

    British actor

    1996-

  • Kieron Elliot

    actor

    Scottish actor

    1995-

  • Kieron Morris

    association football player

    English footballer (born 1994)

    1994-

  • Kieron Freeman

    association football player

    Welsh association football player

    1992-

  • Kieron Cadogan

    association football player

    English footballer

    1990-

Related

Names similar to Kieron

FAQ

Kieron: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Kieron was ranked #2671 for boys in England and Wales, with 8 births registered.

When was Kieron most popular?

The peak year on record was 2002, with 488 babies registered as Kieron in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Kieron?

An Irish name derived from "Ciar", meaning "dark" or "black-haired".

How many people are called Kieron in the UK?

A total of 4,547 babies have been registered as Kieron across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 454 more in Scotland and 27 in Northern Ireland.

Where is Kieron most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Kieron ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #403 in 2012. 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.