Keiran/Kieran | Keira/Kiera - which one??

[SophieUnderwood]

??

Are you having a boy or girl?

None of those spellings personally, Ciaran for a boy, Ciara for a girl.

The usual spelling is Kieran & Kiera.

But I prefer Ciaran & Ciara.

Thinking about this, I would automatically write Kieran for a boy, and Keira for a girl. Weird, huh?

I think for the boys name, Im more familiar with Kieran.

I actually have a daughter called Keira so we went the opposite way on that one! At the time I did a lot of surfing the Internet and it seemed more people thought it should be spelt that way. Then recently, keira knightly came out and said her father spelt her name wrong on the birth certificate and it should have been Kiera. Then I had a load of family asking if I'd spelt it wrong! I don't think he spelt it wrong, he just went for the alternate spelling. Hope that makes sense and sorry its a bit long winded. Lol x

Another who would say Ciaran/Ciara.

Kiera

i am irish and I'd say i before e. So either Ciara or Kiera and either Ciarán or Kieran.

To me though the pronounciation of Kieran and Ciarán is different. the first is KEERin and the second is kirawn

Ciara and Keira can have quite a different pronunciation, from my experience. Worth bearing in mind. Although Ciara is a gorgeous name/spelling. And I do prefer Ciaran to Kieran.x

Kiera and Kieran, but I prefer Ciara and Ciaran

'Ciara and Keira can have quite a different pronunciation, from my experience.'

They're both pronounced keer-a.

I prefer Ciara/Ciaran too.

Although I've just remembered there is some American singer called Ciara who pronounces it sierra. That's a ummmm, you-neek (incorrect!) pronunciation.

Definitely Ciara or Ciaran.

Kieren

Ciara always gets mispronounced in the US, usually Kee-ARR-ah, or See-ARR-ah. The only US pronunciation of Ciara that is unique in the sense of really rare is the correct one.

Kieran
Kiera

I personally know a Ciara who is pronounced kee-ar-ah. I know it is incorrect but I think there is more confusion over that spelling due to the fact it is often pronounced incorrectly in America. That was the reason for my comment about the different pronunciations :) x

Keira (from Keir)

Boys I know both ways.

There is an Irish name ciara pronounced keer-ah, and an Italian name Chiara pronounced kee-ah-ra. I think that must be where a lot of the confusion comes in. The 'k' spellings are anglicisations, but it's unclear which version they are anglicising.

The route name for Kieran though is definitely he Irish Ciaran, which is traditionally pronounced Keer-awn, and on that basis I would be inclined to go I before e. But the 'e' throws it for me so much I think what I'd actually do is just google and see which variant is most commonly used of your two options in the uk, as the most annoying thing for the child will be correcting it.

Root name! Not route.

From my own research from when my daughter was born, Keira is a far more common spelling than Kiera. That's certainly the case in the UK. Hope that helps

I'd say Kieran and possibly Keira. Both were on our lists but as Ciaran and Ciara.

I think one of the lions in either the Lion King or LK II was 'Kee-ar-ah', and I suspect that contributes to the mispronunciation or Ciara.

I know a child who spells her name Kira, pronounced Kee-ra.

Weirdly I'd spell Kieran like this and Keira like this. I'd never thought of that before, but these are the spellings of those I've taught. I also teach a Kira.
I also prefer Ciaran and Ciara. I also know a female Kiran and really like that.

I would go for those spellings too, when I think about it.

Kee-ar-a is an Italian name spelt, Chiara. I know 2 young girls with this name. Both have an Italian parent. I think its Italian for Claire.
I know a Kieran and a Keira. Kiera or maybe Ciara may have been correct originally but Keira is far more common now, certainly in the UK.