Boy's name: Keir. What do you think?

[DangerMousey]

Pronounced 'Keer'.

I like this, and think it's quite unusual, but also sounds classic and strong (and in my mind would pass the High Court Judge/Binman test)....am considering it for DS1 who's due in a few weeks.

Opinions on this name?

[MrsKwaHaHaHaAzii]

Makes me think of the construction company

[LadyofWinterfell]

There's a boy in DD1's year called Keir, Lovely name!

[lottiegarbanzo]

[drjohnsonscat]

so perfect for champagne socialists

[lottiegarbanzo]

I think you have to have left-wing heritage or beliefs to carry it off, as people will assume a reference to Kier Hardie. Would go well with a brother Fabian as well as much more amusing examples up thread.

It's a lovely name though, classic and unusually classless in a way (nothing to do with made up K names). Also makes me think of kir, champagne cocktail.

[ilovemydogandMrObama]

love it! Absolutely not chavvy. helena Kennedy has a Keir, so that can't be bad .

[TwoIfBySea]

Had it not been for (now x)h's cousin having the name one of my dts would have been Keir. Love the name. Never been keen on Ciaran/Kieran but Keir is in no way chavvy.

[drjohnsonscat]

sorry my spelling is atrocious atm. KEIR not Kier.

[drjohnsonscat]

It's the opposite of chavvy. Has gravitas and history. Anyone who thinks it might be chavvy because it starts with a K obviously has never heard of Kier Hardie. It's not one of those made up K names.

I wanted Clement but my mum remembered Attlee because he was PM when she was a child and she said he was a little bald man with bad specs. I didn't have a visual image of him but she ruined the name for me anyway .

[clemetteattlee]

An excellent socialist name

[LadyLetch]

I wouldn't worry about the 'K' thing either, as I don't think it is like the other K names in style.

But then I do have a DD with a K name myself (although it is mn approved )

[amck5700]

Okay - just done a wee bit more research as I was struggling to remember. Ciar is the gaelic name and means dark/black/swarthy and can be anglisised to Kier or Keir and the diminutives are Keiran, Ciaran, Kieran, etc.

The name Keir is a surname (often used as a first name) and a variation on the surname Kerr.

[BlueberryHill]

My DS is called Keir, I obviously love it. Clicked on this thread with trepidation. Phew

[LadyLetch]

I love it, and if I were to have a boy it would be on my list (but I'm not having any more children).

I have taught a couple of Keirs and neither have been in the least bit chavvy, infact quite the opposite so I certainly wouldn't draw those connotations.

I think it is a nice, normal name, that is not off the wall but is just a little bit different. I think that's particularly nice with boys names where they can seen to be so boring samey. Some names I know 6/8 boys with the same name....

I would pronounce it Keer too. We're in the south west.

[NerdAmigo]

Would mark you out as a raving pinko, which can only be a good thing. Nice name, my tory boy husband wouldn't let me have it.

[amck5700]

We did have some neighbours who though it was Kia, like the juice (but they were furrin'!!) They also kept calling my other son Greg tho his name is Craig, so I guess not typical.

[amck5700]

Mojo - I think it just depends where you live and whether you are shouting or not :o

I would say I use Keer. Key-ir, Key-ar and Key-er depending on what I am saying.

[TheMightyMojoceratops]

Are you sure it's not pronounced "Key-er"? Only as the one I know is pronounces it that way. Could be a regional thing.

[MrClaypole]

Love it. One of those rare names that is unusual without being made up!

Would have used it for one of our boys but did not "go" with our surname.

Went to school with a Keir and he never got teased about his name, everyone thought it was cool.

[amck5700]

My son now 11 has rarely been mistaken for a Keiran, or called Queer. The only teasing he has had about his name is being called Ciara - but that's more to do with his penchant for having a longer hair style .

[daisydoodoo]

yes that has been the only mnor issue, is people often thought they had misheard me and called him Kieran, i just said no its Keir. He 15 and has never been called queer eiher. tbh is that not an outdated thing to call someone if you were being derogatory about thier name?

[Snowflakepie]

Love it, my best male friend at school was called Keir. No one ever called him queer PMSL! I can understand that people might connect it to Keiran etc which I don't like. Suited him as a child and adult too, classy and a bit unusual still.

[amck5700]

There is a particular geographical reason that it is not uncommon where I live now. I don't think it is that common in general. I haven't heard on any others anywhere else :)........and if you lived anywhere near me where it was likely to be more popular, you'd already know that. I wouldn't worry about it being used a lot. I was in a city down south last week and had to call for my son in the shopping centre.........it's great that I don't then have half a dozen kids flocking to me :o

It is actually the original form of the name, Ciar means dark or swarthy, the addition of the "an" for Keiran or Ciaran means "little". so you get the little dark one. We didn't think our boy would be little which was what particularly put me off Keiran. My son is very tall and was blond for a while too so the name suits him better.

[lljkk]

Lots of Keirans around here, so Keir sounds very incomplete to my ears.