Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 2008

Kiernan

Gender Unisex · 28% girls Rank 2025 #3,409 Trend → Stable
Rank 2025
#3,409
among boys · ↓272 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
43
named Kiernan · -4% vs 2024
How common
1 in 50,238
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2008
104 babies
All-time total
2,448
#3,566 all-time among boys
First recorded
1957
in Social Security records

Kiernan popularity over time

2,448 babies have been named Kiernan since 1957, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.010.030.040.0518801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – – – – – –
1910s – – – – – –
1920s – – – – – –
1930s – – – – – –
1940s – – – – – –
1950s – 5 5 1 – #4,284
1960s – 9 9 1 +80% #3,201
1970s 11 20 31 3 +244% #5,106
1980s 38 88 126 13 +306% #3,438
1990s 151 338 489 49 +288% #1,832
2000s 234 645 879 88 +80% #1,694
2010s 174 449 623 62 -29% #1,920
2020s (to 2025) 79 207 286 48 -23% #3,003

Where Kiernan is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 34 0.02 outside top 500
2027 34 0.02 outside top 500
2028 34 0.02 outside top 500
2029 34 0.02 outside top 500
2030 34 0.02 outside top 500

The story of Kiernan

Kiernan is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #3,409 in 2025 with 34 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1957, 2,448 American babies have been named Kiernan, about 72% boys and 28% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 2008, when 104 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2000s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Kiernan stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Kiernan?

The median living Kiernan is about 19 years old; half are between 11 and 26. An estimated 2,400 people named Kiernan are alive in the United States today.

median 19 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Kiernan year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 9 #10,519 34 #3,409
2024 6 #14,414 39 #3,137
2023 12 #8,741 29 #3,848
2022 14 #7,857 31 #3,661
2021 17 #6,853 41 #3,003
2020 21 #5,759 33 #3,381
2019 29 #4,719 29 #3,765
2018 19 #6,393 43 #2,823
2017 25 #5,254 54 #2,404
2016 13 #8,647 32 #3,484
2015 11 #9,827 40 #2,943
2014 14 #8,294 42 #2,834
2013 16 #7,582 34 #3,239
2012 11 #10,089 41 #2,891
2011 14 #8,427 60 #2,188
2010 22 #6,073 74 #1,920
2009 23 #6,003 66 #2,085
2008 27 #5,372 77 #1,888
2007 21 #6,454 66 #2,081
2006 16 #7,687 49 #2,498
2005 17 #7,001 67 #1,899
2004 19 #6,371 56 #2,120
2003 25 #5,028 69 #1,754
2002 34 #3,852 67 #1,732
2001 28 #4,383 60 #1,854
2000 24 #4,894 68 #1,694
1995 15 #6,119 34 #2,325
1990 – – 16 #3,703
1985 5 #11,538 10 #4,217
1980 6 #9,664 – –
1975 – – – –
1970 – – 5 #5,106
1965 – – – –
1960 – – – –
1955 – – – –
1950 – – – –
1945 – – – –
1940 – – – –
1935 – – – –
1930 – – – –
1925 – – – –
1920 – – – –
1915 – – – –
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Kiernan

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Kiernan Shipka Kiernan Shipka American actress (born 1999) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Kiernan, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Kiernan?

The median living Kiernan is about 19 years old. Half of all living Kiernans are between 11 and 26 years old.

How many people named Kiernan are alive today?

An estimated 2,400 people named Kiernan are alive in the United States, based on 2,448 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Kiernan in 2025?

Kiernan ranked #3,409 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 34 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Kiernan?

2,448 babies have been named Kiernan in the United States since 1957, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Kiernan most popular?

Kiernan peaked in 2008, when 104 newborns received the name.

Is Kiernan a boy or girl name?

Kiernan is used for both: about 28% of babies named Kiernan have been girls and 72% boys.

Is the name Kiernan rising or falling?

Kiernan has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Will Kiernan become more popular?

Kiernan looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 34 boys named Kiernan in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Kiernan?

Well-known people named Kiernan include Kiernan Shipka (actor).

Names like Kiernan

Names that sound and feel close to Kiernan: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Kiernan with similar names → More names starting with K →