Total births
1,761
Unisex name · since 1957
Kiernan
Since 1957, U.S. Social Security records show 1,761 babies named Kiernan, peaking in 2008. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #3115
- among boys today
- 1,761
- born since 1957
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 78%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Kiernan is the #3115 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 1,761 recorded since 1957.
Kiernan has 1,761 recorded births among boys since 1957, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #3115 as of the latest data, more common than 78% of boys, busiest in the 2000s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1957 to 2025.
- #3115 among boys today
- 1,761 born since 1957
- 2000s peak decade
- 78% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Kiernan is currently the #3115 unisex name in America, more common than 78% of boys - 1,761 born since 1957, peaking in the 2000s.
- #3115
- among boys today
- 1,761
- born since 1957
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 78%
- more common than other boys
Kiernan vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#3115
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 78% of names given to boys today.
2000s
Peak decade
37% of everyone ever named Kiernan was born in this single decade.
2008
Single peak year
77 babies were named Kiernan in 2008 - its busiest year on record.
How Kiernan compares
1,761 Top 23% higher than 77% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Kiernan's all-time total is 5x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kiernan | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,761 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 77 | 23 | 22,252 |
Kiernan's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Kiernan splits its recorded history at 2000: 74% of all births land in the more recent half, 26% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1957 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2008 peak of 77 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Kiernan at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2008
Current rank
#3,115
Active since
1957
Kiernan popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1957–2025
- Peak year (2008)
- 77
- Annual births at peak, across 69 years of records
Kiernan popularity over time - girls
687 total births recorded since 1972 (Kiernan as girls' name)
Kiernan by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Kiernan's strongest decade.
645 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 37% of all-time use.
Kiernan births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1950s 5
1950s
5 births
- 1960s 9
1960s
9 births
- 1970s 20
1970s
20 births
- 1980s 88
1980s
88 births
- 1990s
1990s
338 births
- 2000s
2000s
645 births
- 2010s
2010s
449 births
- 2020s 207
2020s
207 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 645 births (37% of all-time use).
How Kiernan compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Kiernan's total volume
Kiernan vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Kiernan by state
Where Kiernan concentrates geographically, total births since 1957
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 169 | 9.6% |
| #2 | California | | 82 | 4.7% |
| #3 | Massachusetts | | 29 | 1.6% |
| #4 | Florida | | 23 | 1.3% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 21 | 1.2% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 17 | 1.0% |
| #7 | New Jersey | | 15 | 0.9% |
| #8 | Virginia | | 13 | 0.7% |
New York share of Kiernan's total US births 9.6%
Even split
169 of 1,761 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 14 reporting states.
Kiernan appears in 14 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kiernan? ▼
Since 1957, Social Security records show 1,761 babies named Kiernan. Today it holds rank #3115 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 2008, with 77 births.
When was Kiernan most popular? ▼
Kiernan was most popular in the 2000s decade with 645 total births. The single peak year was 2008.
Where is Kiernan most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Kiernan are New York (169 births), California (82 births), Massachusetts (29 births).
Is Kiernan a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Kiernan is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 1,761 births, and as a girl's name it has 687 births.
How long has the name Kiernan been used? ▼
Kiernan has been recorded in Social Security data since 1957, spanning 69 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Kiernan? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Kieran, Kieth, Kiel, Kiefer, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Kiernan's data
- Kiernan's decade-level peak was the 2000s (645 total births); usage has since declined to 207 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Kiernans (169 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Kiernan
Nearby Names Like Kiernan
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kiernan
Kieran Boy
#440 17,613 births
Kieth Boy
2,837 births
Kiel Boy
#11140 2,505 births
Kiefer Boy
#12851 1,950 births
Kieron Boy
#10055 730 births
Compare Kiernan side by side: Kiernan vs Kieran Kiernan vs Kieth Kiernan vs Kiel
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kiernan
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1957–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Kiernan: #3115 Unisex Name - 1,761 Births, Peak 2008." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/kiernan. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Kiernan draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.