Kera
A girl's name of Irish origin with 3,449 recorded U.S. births.
Meaning & Origin
An East Chadic language spoken in southwestern Chad and northern Cameroon.
Kera is a girl's baby name of Irish origin, a variant of Kira or Ciara, from the Irish ciar meaning 'dark' or 'black.' In Irish tradition, dark coloring was considered beautiful — Saint Ciara of Kilkeary bore this name in the 7th century.
Kera has a crisp, striking sound — minimal and strong, with genuine Celtic roots that give it more substance than its brevity suggests.
EtymologyShow more
Kera is built from 4 letters and two syllables — a compact structure that favors quick recognition and easy recall. Within the Irish naming tradition, this brevity is common among names that have been worn down through centuries of use, shedding syllables along the way.
The interplay of consonants and vowels in Kera creates its characteristic open, warm quality. Two-syllable names are the most common length in American naming, hitting a natural speech rhythm that works across formal and informal contexts.
At a Glance
Popularity Over Time
Kera was #2185 twenty years ago and has since drifted to #10662, but its charm endures.
Popularity by Decade
| Decade | Births | Avg Rank | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 52 | #10170 | ▼ |
| 2010s | 305 | #4923 | ▼ |
| 2000s | 804 | #2264 | — |
| 1990s | 831 | #1823 | ▼ |
| 1980s | 985 | #1406 | ▲ |
| 1970s | 411 | #2483 | ▲ |
| 1960s | 61 | #5741 | — |
The Story of Kera
A Millennial name
Peaking in 1982, Kera is a Millennial-era classic. Girls named Kera are most likely born between 1972 and 1992.
How rare is Kera?
Only about 1 in every 400,000 babies born in 2024 was named Kera — a truly uncommon choice.
The journey through the decades
First appeared in the records in 1961, peaked in the 1980s with 985 births that decade, and has since become a rare, vintage choice.
Kera by the numbers
- Would fill 72 school buses
- Meeting one Kera per day would take 9.4 years
Year-by-Year Data
View complete yearly data(63 years, 1961–2024)
| Year | Births | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 9 | #10662 |
| 2023 | 7 | #12809 |
| 2022 | 8 | #11729 |
| 2021 | 15 | #7459 |
| 2020 | 13 | #8192 |
| 2019 | 18 | #6565 |
| 2018 | 23 | #5544 |
| 2017 | 23 | #5594 |
| 2016 | 26 | #5216 |
| 2015 | 23 | #5752 |
| 2014 | 33 | #4408 |
| 2013 | 28 | #4959 |
| 2012 | 32 | #4552 |
| 2011 | 44 | #3576 |
| 2010 | 55 | #3064 |
| 2009 | 72 | #2582 |
| 2008 | 72 | #2596 |
| 2007 | 88 | #2235 |
| 2006 | 98 | #2024 |
| 2005 | 98 | #1959 |
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kera a boy's or girl's name?
When was Kera most popular?
How popular is the name Kera?
Explore More
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration, 1961–2024