Entry № 1296 · Irish origin

Keira Keira — Meaning, Origin & Baby Name Popularity

/ KEER-ah /
Gender
Girl
Origin
Irish
Meaning
"Dark / dark-haired (Keira Knightley, Pirates of the Caribbean + Atonement)"
Syllables
2
Rank · US 2025
№ 95
First recorded
Medieval (Irish)

A name that means "dark / dark-haired (keira knightley, pirates of the caribbean + atonement)".

Keira is the modern English form of the Irish *Ciara* — from the Old Irish *ciar* ("dark, black") — feminine of Ciar, an ancient Irish king's name. **A top-150 US baby name since 2004**. **Keira Knightley (born 1985)** — **English actress; two Academy Award nominations — Best Actress for *Pride & Prejudice* (2005) at age 20 (the third-youngest Best Actress nominee in history) and Best Supporting Actress for *The Imitation Game* (2014)**. **Defined the 2000s-2010s English period-drama heroine with Elizabeth Bennet in *Pride & Prejudice* (2005), Cecilia Tallis in *Atonement* (2007), Sabina Spielrein in *A Dangerous Method* (2011), and Anna Karenina in Joe Wright's *Anna Karenina* (2012)**. **Elizabeth Swann across all five *Pirates of the Caribbean* films (2003-2017) — the franchise grossed $4.5+ billion worldwide**. **Officer of the Order of the British Empire (2018) for services to drama and charity**. **Keira Walsh (born 1997)** — English footballer; FIFA Best Award nominee 2023; helped England win the UEFA Women's Euro 2022. **Keira Lewis** — British footballer. **Saint Ciara of Killinaboy** — Irish 7th-century saint.

Featured throughout 2000s-2020s English cinema.

Dark / dark-haired. Knightley's two Oscar nominations + Pirates of the Caribbean franchise ($4.5B+ worldwide).

The name in its native script.

Keira
Transliteration
Keira
Pronunciation
/ ˈkɪər.ə /
Root
Grammatical form

Where Keira stands.

Current rank · 2025
№ 95 in the U.S.
All-time peak
№ 95 in 2022
Babies named Keira · last year
2,710 in the U.S.
First entered SSA top-1000
1999
Rank, 1995–2025 Lower = more popular
№25 №75 №150 №250 1995 2005 2015 2020 2025 PEAK · #95 NOW · #95

Keiras before her.

Real people
Keira Knightley
English Oscar-nominated actress.
born 1985
Keira Walsh
English footballer.
born 1997
In fiction
Elizabeth Swann
Pirates of the Caribbean.
2003
Elizabeth Bennet
Pride & Prejudice.
2005

Names connected to Keira.

The number behind Keira.

1

The Pioneer

Keira reduces to one — the number of Pride & Prejudice.

Why families chose this name.

"Knightley's dark. Five letters. Keira."
Catherine · Mother of one · Teddington