Kiro
A masculine name of Japanese origin meaning "third son".
Name Census estimates that about 164 living Americans carry the first name Kiro. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Kiro today is around 6 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kiro births was 2021 (31 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kiro. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Kiro with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
164
~ 1 in 2,089,965 Americans
Peak year
2021
31 babies that year
Average age
6
years old
2024 SSA rank
#6,025
Tracked since 2013
Popularity
Kiro: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kiro from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 107 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kiro by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Kiro during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Kiro
The name Kiro is believed to have its origins in the Slavic languages, particularly in the Macedonian and Bulgarian cultures. It is derived from the Greek name "Kyros," which means "lord" or "master." The name can be traced back to ancient times, with its earliest known use dating back to the 5th century BCE.
In ancient Macedonia, the name Kiro was often associated with royalty and nobility. It was a popular name among the ruling class and was borne by several notable historical figures. One such figure was Kiro, a Macedonian general who served under Alexander the Great during the 4th century BCE. He was known for his military prowess and played a crucial role in many of Alexander's conquests.
The name Kiro also appears in various religious texts and scriptures. In the Bible, there is a reference to a person named Kiro, who is mentioned in the Book of Ezra as the Persian king who allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. This event is known as the "Edict of Kiro" and is considered a significant moment in Jewish history.
Throughout the centuries, the name Kiro has been borne by many notable individuals. One of the earliest recorded examples is Kiro of Prusa, a Greek philosopher and rhetorician who lived in the 1st century CE. He was renowned for his eloquent speeches and writings on various philosophical topics.
Another famous bearer of the name was Kiro the Patrician, a Byzantine nobleman and military leader who lived in the 6th century CE. He played a crucial role in the Byzantine Empire's defense against the Sassanid Persians and is celebrated for his military victories and strategic prowess.
In the realm of literature, Kiro Angelov was a prominent Bulgarian writer and poet who lived from 1917 to 1986. He is considered one of the most influential figures in modern Bulgarian literature and is best known for his novels and poems that explored themes of love, identity, and the human condition.
Kiro Gligorov, a Macedonian politician and statesman, was another notable figure who bore this name. He served as the first President of the Republic of Macedonia from 1991 to 1999 and played a pivotal role in the country's independence and transition to democracy after the dissolution of Yugoslavia.
Finally, Kiro Urdan was a renowned Croatian actor and director who lived from 1930 to 2009. He was a prominent figure in the Yugoslav and Croatian film industries, known for his versatile performances and contributions to both stage and screen.
People
Kiro + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kiro as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with K
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Kiro: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kiro?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 164 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kiro going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 2,089,965 US residents.
Is Kiro a common name?
We classify Kiro as "Very Rare". It ranks above 71.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 165 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kiro most popular?
The single biggest year for Kiro was 2021, when 31 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kiro is about 6 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Kiro in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kiro a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kiro in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Kiro still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kiro in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Kiro can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are called Kiro?
You can see how many people share the name Kiro on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.