Kiyir
A masculine given name of Tamil origin meaning "moon" or "bright one".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Kiyir. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Kiyir today is around 3 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kiyir births was 2023 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kiyir. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Kiyir. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2023
5 babies that year
Average age
3
years old
2023 SSA rank
#13,293
Tracked since 2023
Popularity
Kiyir: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Kiyir 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 Kiyir during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Kiyir
The name Kiyir finds its origins in the ancient Tamil language, which has been spoken in parts of southern India and Sri Lanka for over two millennia. It is derived from the Tamil root word "kir," which means "to dig" or "to burrow," likely referring to the burrowing habits of certain animals or the process of digging the earth for agriculture or construction.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kiyir can be found in the Sangam literature, a vast body of poetic works that date back to the early centuries of the common era. The name appears in several verses, often associated with characters who were farmers, builders, or laborers, reflecting the connection to the root word's meaning.
In the 7th century CE, there was a notable figure named Kiyir Manikkam, a renowned scholar and poet from the city of Madurai in present-day Tamil Nadu. His compositions, particularly those in praise of the deities worshipped in Madurai's ancient temples, have been preserved and studied for their literary and cultural significance.
Another historically significant individual bearing the name Kiyir was Kiyir Kavi, a 12th-century poet and philosopher from the Chola kingdom. His works explored themes of spirituality, ethics, and the human condition, and he is considered one of the foremost thinkers of the late medieval period in Tamil literature.
In the 16th century, there was a famous architect and town planner named Kiyir Thozhilalar, who oversaw the construction of several grand temples and public buildings in the Vijayanagar Empire. His innovative designs and meticulous planning earned him widespread recognition and influenced architectural styles throughout southern India.
One of the most renowned figures with the name Kiyir was Kiyir Narayanan, a revolutionary leader and freedom fighter who played a pivotal role in India's struggle for independence from British colonial rule in the early 20th century. Born in 1887, he dedicated his life to the cause of Indian nationalism and was a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi.
While the name Kiyir has its roots in ancient Tamil culture, it has been adopted and used across various regions and communities within India, transcending linguistic and regional boundaries. The name's connection to the earth, labor, and creation has given it a sense of humility and reverence for the natural world and human endeavor.
People
Kiyir + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kiyir 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
Kiyir: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kiyir?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kiyir 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Kiyir a common name?
We classify Kiyir as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kiyir most popular?
The single biggest year for Kiyir was 2023, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kiyir is about 3 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 Kiyir in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kiyir a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kiyir 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 Kiyir still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kiyir 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 Kiyir 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 named Kiyir?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.