Girl nameCurrently #238 in the USRising
Kiara
kee-AR-uh//kiˈɑːrə//
3 syllablesPeak year: 19995 lettersStarts with K
Meaning & origin
Little dark one (Irish); clear, bright (Italian)
Kiara has two strands: it functions as a variant of the Irish Ciara, meaning 'little dark one', and separately echoes the Italian Chiara, meaning clear or bright. Its bright, musical sound has kept it popular since the 1990s, aided by its use in Disney's 'The Lion King II'.
Kiara's popularity over time
| Year | Births named Kiara |
|---|---|
| 1968 | 5 |
| 1969 | 7 |
| 1971 | 5 |
| 1972 | 9 |
| 1973 | 10 |
| 1974 | 18 |
| 1975 | 20 |
| 1976 | 20 |
| 1977 | 20 |
| 1978 | 25 |
| 1979 | 43 |
| 1980 | 32 |
| 1981 | 58 |
| 1982 | 81 |
| 1983 | 69 |
| 1984 | 73 |
| 1985 | 99 |
| 1986 | 94 |
| 1987 | 128 |
| 1988 | 227 |
| 1989 | 2,738 |
| 1990 | 1,725 |
| 1991 | 1,748 |
| 1992 | 1,578 |
| 1993 | 1,530 |
| 1994 | 1,445 |
| 1995 | 1,451 |
| 1996 | 1,394 |
| 1997 | 1,268 |
| 1998 | 1,734 |
| 1999 | 4,024 |
| 2000 | 2,567 |
| 2001 | 2,290 |
| 2002 | 2,103 |
| 2003 | 1,882 |
| 2004 | 1,835 |
| 2005 | 2,149 |
| 2006 | 1,911 |
| 2007 | 1,621 |
| 2008 | 1,422 |
| 2009 | 1,158 |
| 2010 | 984 |
| 2011 | 988 |
| 2012 | 921 |
| 2013 | 1,037 |
| 2014 | 924 |
| 2015 | 817 |
| 2016 | 855 |
| 2017 | 889 |
| 2018 | 961 |
| 2019 | 1,092 |
| 2020 | 1,036 |
| 2021 | 990 |
| 2022 | 1,223 |
| 2023 | 1,304 |
| 2024 | 1,310 |
Kiara through the decades
- Kiara peaked in 1999, when 4,024 babies were named Kiara in the US.
- The 2000s were Kiara's strongest decade, averaging 1,894 births a year.
- Over the last 10 years of data (2015–2024), use of Kiara has fallen 20% compared to the 10 years before that.
- Kiara currently ranks #238 in the US and is on the rise.
Nicknames
Kiki
Variants & spellings
CiaraChiara