Fun Facts About the Name Keir
- More than 1 thousand babies named Keir: U.S. records list 1,117 babies given the name Keir from 1880 through 2025. Even 64 girls received the name Keir - about 1 girl for every 16 boys.
What Does the Name Keir Mean?
Keir is a Scottish name meaning 'dark' or 'dusky,' from the Scottish Gaelic word ciar. It is primarily a surname of territorial origin, taken from one or more places in Scotland called Keir; the place name itself comes from ciar. The literal sense is 'dark,' probably describing dark soil, water, or woodland, or used as a byname for someone with dark hair or a dark complexion. As a given name, Keir is a transferred use of the surname. A less common competing explanation connects the name to Old Norse kjarr, meaning 'marsh' or 'copse,' but that derivation is more securely associated with the separate surname Kerr, and its application to Keir is uncertain.
Keir Name History & Origins
The surname Keir is territorial: it belonged to people who lived at or held lands called Keir. Several places in Scotland bear the name, including Keir in Stirlingshire, where the Stirling family held the estate of Keir. The surname appears in medieval Scottish records. As a first name, Keir is a transferred surname. It has been used as a masculine given name in Scotland and, later, in other English-speaking countries.
Keir Hardie (1856 - 1915), the Scottish socialist and first leader of the Labour Party, carried Keir as a middle name from his mother's family. The Labour politician Keir Starmer was named after him. The actor Keir Dullea is another well-known bearer.
How Popular is the Name Keir?
Keir 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 1970. Its best rank was #1,028 in 1970.
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 | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | #14,518 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1984 | #11,211 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1978 | #10,497 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1977 | #10,350 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1976 | #8,621 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1974 | #5,984 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 1973 | #7,868 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1971 | #7,813 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1970 | #4,897 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1969 | #7,014 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #10,207 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2024 | #6,633 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 2023 | #5,571 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 2022 | #4,938 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 2021 | #5,456 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 2020 | #6,830 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2019 | #6,990 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2018 | #7,383 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2017 | #6,908 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2016 | #13,260 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2015 | #4,624 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 2014 | #5,599 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 2013 | #5,808 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2012 | #7,855 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2011 | #6,426 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2010 | #13,334 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2009 | #8,011 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2008 | #5,639 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 2007 | #10,364 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 2006 | #4,783 | 19 | 0.0009% |
| 2005 | #5,162 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 2004 | #6,343 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2003 | #4,933 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 2002 | #6,810 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2001 | #5,859 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2000 | #4,924 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1999 | #4,245 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1998 | #4,304 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 1997 | #4,577 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1996 | #3,342 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 1995 | #3,967 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 1994 | #4,673 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1993 | #3,747 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1992 | #4,020 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1991 | #3,546 | 17 | 0.0008% |
| 1990 | #2,661 | 25 | 0.0012% |
| 1989 | #3,916 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1988 | #3,797 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1987 | #2,894 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1986 | #4,671 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1985 | #2,555 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 1984 | #4,074 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1983 | #2,740 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1982 | #4,417 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1981 | #2,730 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1980 | #3,513 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1979 | #2,844 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1978 | #4,009 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1977 | #2,100 | 23 | 0.0014% |
| 1976 | #1,962 | 25 | 0.0016% |
| 1975 | #2,256 | 20 | 0.0013% |
| 1974 | #2,024 | 22 | 0.0014% |
| 1973 | #2,361 | 17 | 0.0011% |
| 1972 | #1,523 | 32 | 0.0020% |
| 1971 | #1,224 | 46 | 0.0026% |
| 1970 | #1,028 | 63 | 0.0034% |
| 1969 | #1,176 | 45 | 0.0025% |
| 1968 | #1,491 | 28 | 0.0016% |
| 1967 | #3,774 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1966 | #2,397 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1965 | #3,726 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1964 | #1,768 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 1963 | #2,366 | 13 | 0.0006% |
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 Keir 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 have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
You are very intuitive. You have a reservoir of inspired wisdom combined with inherited analytical ability, which could reward you through expressions of spiritual leadership, business analysis, marketing, artistic visions, and scientific research. Operating on spiritual side of your individuality can bring you to the great heights, and drop you off if you neglect your spiritual identity. You are always looking for an opportunity to investigate the unknown, to use and show your mental abilities, to find the purpose and meaning of life. You want to grow wise and to understand people and things. You need privacy to replenish your energy. You have a unique way of thinking, intuitive, reflective, absorbing.
✦ Keir's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Keir's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.