How to say it
KI · ra
/ˈkɪər.ə/
Feminine
Kira
Light, or lord
What it means
Several roots converge: a Russian feminine of Cyrus ('lord' or 'sun'), a Persian sense of 'light,' and an Irish ciar, 'dark.'
Kira gathers a few origins on one short spelling. In Russian it is the feminine of Cyrus, linked to 'lord' or 'sun'; in Persian it reads as 'light'; and the Irish Ciara root means 'dark.' That cross-cultural reach, plus bright bearers like The Dark Crystal's Kira and Star Trek's Kira Nerys, has kept it climbing. Said KEER-uh. Kyra and Keira are the close cousins.
Popularity over time
peaked at #241 in 2005, currently #385 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Spelling
Kira, Kyra, Keira, and Kiera are all in use.
- Pronunciation
KEER-uh.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Kira Nerys the Bajoran officer of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Spelling variants
- Kyra
- Keira
- Kiera
Names with the same feeling
See Kira from another angle
By meaning