Fun Facts About the Name Kayra
- 871 babies named Kayra: U.S. records list 871 babies given the name Kayra from 1880 through 2025. Even 41 boys received the name Kayra - about 1 boy for every 20 girls.
What Does the Name Kayra Mean?
Kayra is a Turkish given name whose meaning is "grace," "favor," or "benevolence." It comes from the Turkic word kayra, which refers to the kindness, protection, or blessing that someone greater shows to someone lesser. That is the word's ordinary sense in Turkish, so the name's meaning is not a translation from another language - it is the meaning the Turkic word already carries.
Turkish name lists often also point to Kayra Han, the creator figure in Turkic and Altaic mythology. His name is sometimes explained from the same word for favor or mercy, so the resemblance is not accidental, but the mythological figure does not give the given name a second, separate meaning. The modern name rests on the common noun.
In English, Kayra is sometimes taken as a spelling of Kyra, Kira, or Cara. Those names have their own origins - Kyra goes back to Greek kyrios, "lord" - and the similar sound does not mean the names share a source. Where English speakers use Kayra, it is almost always understood as the Turkish name.
Kayra Name History & Origins
Kayra comes from the Turkic word stock rather than from a saint's name or a scriptural figure. In the mythology recorded among the Altai and other Siberian Turkic peoples, Kayra Han (also spelled Kayra Kan) is a creator deity, described in those accounts as the highest of the gods and as the maker of the sky and the world; some scholars identify him with the sky god Tengri. He appears in that role in collections of Altaic epic and myth, where the name belongs to the god and not to a human being.
The name entered personal use through Turkish. Turkish has a long habit of making names directly from ordinary words - Umut ("hope"), Deniz ("sea"), Eren ("one who has reached the truth") - and Kayra follows that pattern: a noun for grace or favor used as a name without any change in form. In Turkey it is given to both boys and girls, though Turkish name lists differ on which use they treat as primary. It also appears among Turkish communities in Western Europe.
No single ruler, religious figure, or literary work is tied to the spread of the name, which is typical of Turkish names drawn from vocabulary words. In English-speaking countries the name is rare and is sometimes written and said as a form of Kyra or Kira; that is a separate, spelling-based development and does not change the history of the Turkish name.
How Popular is the Name Kayra?
Kayra has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2023. Its best rank was #3,495 in 2023.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #4,496 | 31 | 0.0019% |
| 2024 | #3,913 | 38 | 0.0024% |
| 2023 | #3,495 | 45 | 0.0028% |
| 2022 | #4,412 | 32 | 0.0020% |
| 2021 | #5,163 | 25 | 0.0015% |
| 2020 | #4,698 | 28 | 0.0017% |
| 2019 | #5,889 | 21 | 0.0013% |
| 2018 | #4,510 | 31 | 0.0018% |
| 2017 | #5,121 | 26 | 0.0015% |
| 2016 | #5,377 | 25 | 0.0014% |
| 2015 | #5,215 | 26 | 0.0015% |
| 2014 | #7,481 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2013 | #5,218 | 26 | 0.0015% |
| 2012 | #6,732 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 2011 | #7,990 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 2010 | #7,360 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 2009 | #4,145 | 37 | 0.0020% |
| 2008 | #3,816 | 42 | 0.0022% |
| 2007 | #3,749 | 43 | 0.0022% |
| 2006 | #4,886 | 29 | 0.0015% |
| 2005 | #4,641 | 29 | 0.0016% |
| 2004 | #6,098 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 2003 | #5,506 | 22 | 0.0012% |
| 2002 | #5,574 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 2001 | #6,800 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2000 | #5,069 | 23 | 0.0013% |
| 1999 | #5,776 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1998 | #8,272 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1997 | #6,647 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1996 | #7,351 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1995 | #8,404 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1994 | #6,490 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1993 | #9,109 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1992 | #7,769 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1991 | #8,955 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1990 | #8,838 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1989 | #13,375 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1977 | #10,341 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #11,355 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2024 | #8,638 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2023 | #7,996 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2022 | #11,600 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2020 | #13,104 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2007 | #13,418 | 5 | 0.0002% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Kayra Shapes Your Personality and Life?
EXTREMES in fortune, health and spirituality. You are very versatile, idealistic and intuitive. You either enjoy great success or suffer abject misery. The solution is service to others. Use your leadership abilities for humanity and not for self-glorification. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You are always looking for an opportunity to achieve financial and emotional security. You are basically peacemaker. You understand the law of harmony and desire to balance your life with those around you. You may feel incomplete without someone to share your love, ideals, wealth or work. You can be very sensitive and could appear a bit shy and perceptive. You have developed intuition, patience and the ability to nurture others. You can achieve the state of happiness if you are willing to accept your needs in a complimentary relationship and go to create them.
✦ Kayra's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Kayra's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.