| Keira | Saoirse | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | dark, black-haired | Freedom |
| Origin | irish | Irish |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | KEER-ah | SEER-shuh |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 0 | 1993 |
| Peak year | 2006 (3,022) | 2020 (373) |
| In 2025 | 0 | 222 |
| Trend | Declining | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Keira | Saoirse |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 3,391 | 1,768 |
| 2010s | 13,440 | 1,853 |
| 2000s | 14,520 | 383 |
| 1990s | 1,390 | 64 |
| 1980s | 637 | 0 |
| 1970s | 359 | 0 |
| 1960s | 99 | 0 |
Anglicized spelling of the Irish Ciara, derived from Old Irish 'ciar' meaning 'black, dark'. Same root as Ciaran/Kieran; refers to dark hair or complexion.
Saoirse is the Irish word for “freedom” or “liberty,” popularised in the 20th century.
Saoirse is more popular than Keira today: about 222 US babies were given the name Saoirse in 2025, compared with 0 named Keira.
Keira means dark, black-haired (irish origin), while Saoirse means Freedom (Irish origin).
In US records, Keira first appears in 0 and Saoirse in 1993, so Keira has the longer recorded history.