Keira

Her mother reportedly intended to spell it Kiera but a clerical error produced Keira, which then became the standard for thousands of parents worldwide.

Keira currently holds No. 609 in the US with 492 births. It peaked in 2006 at No. 110 with 3,022 births, closely tracking Knightley’s rise through Oscar-nominated roles in Pride and Prejudice and Atonement.

Beyond Knightley, the name appears in video games (Mortal Kombat’s Kitana was originally conceived as Keira) and in the Jak and Daxter franchise.

Saint Ciarán of Clonmacnoise, one of Ireland’s 12 apostles, gives the masculine root a deep ecclesiastical history stretching to the 6th century.

The K- opening and the diphthong ei give Keira a sharper, more contemporary feel than the traditional Irish Ciara. The 2 syllables balance strength and softness, starting with a hard consonant and resolving on an open vowel.

The name has declined from its mid-2000s peak as the Knightley effect fades, but it remains well-known and widely liked. Parents today who choose Keira often appreciate that it sits outside the top 500 frenzy while still being instantly recognisable.

In the UK, Australia and New Zealand, Keira and Kiera continue to rank higher than in the US. The Irish original Ciara also remains strong, giving parents 3 spelling options for the same underlying name and sound.