Kira Name Meaning: Origin, Popularity & Nicknames

What Does the Name Kira Mean?

Depending on which region you are from, the name Kira has different meanings. From Greek, English, Russian, and Slavonic to Indian and Egyptian, the name Kira has been a part of history for centuries.

What is the Origin of the Name Kira?

The name Kira can be traced to various parts of the world. In Russia, Kira is the feminine form of Kir and means “mistress, ruler.” Kir translates to “leader of the people” or “beloved.” The name Kira may have arrived in Russia from the Persian-Greek name Kyra.

In Ancient Hebrew, Keren is the masculine form of Kira. It means both “a beam of light” and “a horn.” Kira is also an Anglicized form of the Irish name Ciara, which means “dark-haired.”

Below are a few more common translations of the name Kira:

• Greek: “Lord.”
• English: “Black.”
• Russian: “Lady” or “throne.”
• Slavonic: “Strong woman.”
• Indian: “Beam of light” or just “light.”
• Egyptian: “Like Ra,” the Egyptian sun god.

How Popular is the Name Kira?

Kira is a popular name in the U.S. It was first recorded in 1969 and hit its peak in popularity in 2005. Currently, the name Kira was ranked at #384 in 2021 ⁽¹⁾.

How Do I Pronounce Kira?

The pronunciation of Kira is “KEER-ah.”

Is Kira a Boy or Girl Name?

In general Kira is considered a name for girls. It is a derivative of boys’ names such as Cyril, Kiran, and Cyrus ⁽²⁾.

However, there are a few men with the name, such as Kira Lewis Jr., an American professional basketball player.

Variations of Kira

There are many variations of the name Kira, from Greek to Hebrew and Indian to Cambodian. Here is a selection:

• Ciara (Irish)
• Kaira (Greek)
• Keera (Greek)
• Keira (Irish)
• Kiera (Irish)
• Kierra (Irish)
• Kirah (Latin)
• Kiri (Cambodian)
• Kiria (Persian)
• Kiriah (Hebrew)
• Kirrah (Celtic-Gaelic, Aboriginal)
• Kirra (English)
• Kirri (Cambodian)
• Kirya (Hebrew)
• Kyra (Greek)
• Kyrah (Grenadian, Korean)
• Kyreena (Greek)
• Kyrene (Greek)
• Kyrha (Greek)
• Kyria (Hebrew)
• Kyrie (Greek)
• Kyrra (Irish)

Nicknames for Kira

With Kira being a short name already, nicknames are somewhat limited. Still there are a few choices, such as:

• Kay
• Keery
• Ker
• Kiki
• Ky
• Ra or Rah

Similar Names to Kira

You could consider a wide variety of names that are similar to Kira, such as:

• Cara
• Carrie
• Kara
• Kari
• Kaori
• Karah
• Kaira
• Kairi
• Keaira
• Keir
• Kerri
• Kerry
• Kiara
• Kiora
• Kirra
• Kirya
• Kura
• Kyra
• Kyria
• Kyrie

Middle Names for Kira

WIth Kira being only a two-syllable name, you have many options for a longer middle name if you’d like. We like how these sound together with Kira:

• Anne
• Annalise
• Annabelle
• Beatrice
• Bess
• Catherine
• Elizabeth
• Evangeline
• Isabelle
• Jane
• Jasmina
• Joy
• Lou
• Marie
• Marguerite
• Patrice
• Rose
• Riley
• Sinead
• Siobhan

Sibling Names for Kira

We’ve put together a list of girl and boy names for you to consider for siblings of Kira. To give you some inspiration, we’ve included some names that start with the letter K and some that do not:

For sisters:

• Anna
• Elisa
• Josephine
• Kate
• Katherine
• Kelly
• Kylie
• Lucy
• Rebecca
• Tamara

For brothers:

• Finn
• Jonathan
• Keith
• Kevin
• Kipper
• Kyle
• Patrick
• Tate
• Willem
• Wyatt

Famous People Named Kira

There are famous women all around the world with the name Kira. We’ve listed just a few to give you some references.

• Kira Bousloff: A prominent Russian-Australian dancer.
• Kira Buckland: An American voice actress mainly known for English dubbed Japanese anime, cartoons, and video games.
• Kira Bulten: A medaled Dutch Olympic swimmer.
• Kira Cochrane: A British journalist and novelist and advocate for women’s rights.
• Kira Eggers: A Danish model.
• Kira Hagi: A Romanian actress.
• Kira Henehan: An American author.
• Kira Horn: A German field hockey player.
• Kira Kirillovn: Grand Duchess of Russia, 1909-1967.
• Kira Miró: A Spanish actress and TV presenter.
• Kira Nagy: A Hungarian professional tennis player.
• Kira Narayanan: An Indian film actress, musician, and TV personality.
• Kira Poutanen: A Finnish writer, translator, and actress.
• Kira Puru: An Australian musician of Maori descent.
• Kira Radinsky: An Israeli computer scientist, inventor, and entrepreneur.
• Kira Roessler: An American musician best known as the bassist for the influential hardcore punk band Black Flag.
• Kira Skov: A Danish singer best known as the lead singer of rock band Kira & the Kindred Spirits.
• Kira Valentinovna Ivanova: A Soviet Russian professional ice skater who medaled in Olympic, World, European, and Soviet competitions.
• Kira Vincent-Davis: An American voice actress best known for her work in English-language versions of Japanese anime.
• Kira Zvorykina: A Soviet and Ukrainian chess champion.

Kira in Popular Culture

There are a few characters with the name Kira in popular culture. Here is a sampling:

• Kira: Olivia Newton-John’s character in the 1980 film “Xanadu.”
• Kira Argounova: The protagonist in Ayn Rand’s “We the Living.”
• Kira Daidohji: A character in the video game series “Arcana Heart.”
• Kira (Gelfling): A character in Jim Henson’s film “The Dark Crystal.”
• Kira Nerys: A character on the TV series “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.”

Kira FAQs

Let’s look at a few more questions you might have about the name Kira.