Kira (given name)

Kira, Kera
Pronunciation/ˈkɪərə/ KEER-ə
GenderMale and female
Origin
MeaningMultiple ("like Ra", "beam of light", "shine", "ruler of the people")
Region of originMultiple (Ancient Greece, Egypt, India, Ireland, Japan, Russia, Slavonic and Hindu)
Other names
Variant form(s)Kera, Kerra, Kiira, Kira, Kaira, Keara, Keera, Keira, Kiera, Kyra, Kyrah, Kirah, Kyreena, Kyrha, Kyria, Kyrie, Kyrene, Kyrra and Kirra
Related namesAkira, Ciara, Cyrus, Kaira, Keira, Kiera, Kiran, Kyra

Kira is a mostly feminine name of multiple origins and meanings.

Etymology

The feminine form is pronounced /ˈkɪərə/ KEER-ə or /ˈkiːrə/ KEE-rə. It might be a feminine form of the name Kiran, pronounced /ˈkɪərən/ KEER-ən. Kiran is of Hindi and Sanskrit origin, meaning "beam of light". In Ancient Hebrew "Keren" means both "a horn" and "a beam of light". Besides Sanskrit and Hebrew there might be other etymologies from Egyptian, where the word Ki-Ra means "like Ra", or Persian.[1] Due to the Greek interpretation of the Persian king's name Kourosh (کوروش, Kūrosh) as Κύρος (Kýros) – which was obviously modeled after the Greek word κύριος (kýrios "lord"), the feminine form being κυρία (kyría) – Kyra (or Kira) can also be understood as a variant.[2] Therefore, it is also in use as a feminine form of the Greek diminutive form Cyril.

In Russian, Kira (Ки́ра) is the feminine form of the masculine name Kir, meaning "mistress, ruler", but can be translated to "leader of the people", "one the people look to" or "beloved".[3] Kira could also have arrived into Russian from the Persian-Greek name Kyra. Kira can also be the diminutive of the old and rare masculine given name Avvakir.[4]

Kira is one of several Anglicized forms of the Irish name Ciara, which in Irish means "dark haired" or "little dark one".[5]

Kira also means "strong woman" in Slavonic.[6]

There is also a Japanese name, romanized as Kira, which is common in Japan, as both given name and family name (e.g. the Kira clan of Mikawa province). Kira kira also means "glittery, shiny" in Japanese.[7]

Variant forms include Kaira, Keera, Keira, Kiera, Kyra, Kyrah, Kyreena, Kyrha, Kyria, Kyrie, Kyrene, Kyrra and Kirra.[8]

People

Fictional characters

  • Kira Argounova, the protagonist in Ayn Rand's We the Living
  • Kira Aso, female protagonist in the Japanese manga Mars
  • Kira Carsen in the video game Star Wars: The Old Republic
  • Kira Daidohji in the video game series Arcana Heart
  • Kira Finster in the Nickelodeon animated television series Rugrats and its spin-off All Grown Up!
  • Kira Ford (aka Yellow Dino Ranger) in Power Rangers: Dino Thunder
  • Kyra Hart in the WB/CW television series Reba, played by Scarlett Pomers
  • Kira Marlowe in the television drama Flashpoint, constable, Special Response Unit dispatcher, played by Pascale Hutton
  • Kira Sakuratsuki in the anime Futakoi
  • Sumeragi Kira in the anime Uta no Prince-Sama
  • Kira Supernova, in the 2013 animated film Escape from Planet Earth, voiced by Sarah Jessica Parker
  • Kira Yamato in the Japanese anime television series Mobile Suit Gundam SEED and Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny
  • Kira Yoshikage in the Japanese anime television series JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
  • Kira Yukimura, one of the main characters in the MTV drama Teen Wolf
  • Kira (Death Note), alias of the protagonist Light Yagami in the Japanese manga/anime franchise Death Note
  • Kira (Gelfling) in the film The Dark Crystal
  • Kira (Iggy Arbuckle), a anthropomorphic rat in the Canadian animated television series Iggy Arbuckle
  • Kira (Mortal Kombat)
  • Kira Nerys in the Star Trek Deep Space 9 television series
  • Kira the Seer in the Charmed television series universe
  • Kira, a recurring character and antagonist in season 3 of Disney Channel's Andi Mack
  • Kira, the main character of the book Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry
  • Kira, daughter of Sarah Manning in the Canadian sci-fi television series Orphan Black
  • Kira in the 1980 film Xanadu, played by Olivia Newton-John
  • Kira Yoshikage, the main antagonist of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable by Hirohiko Araki
  • Kira Navárez, the main character of the 2020 sci-fi novel To Sleep in a Sea of Stars
  • Kira King, one of the main characters of the 2022 Disney+ original movie Sneakerella
  • Kira Darvis, daughter of the main character Edgin in the 2023 movie Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
  • Kira, fictional super hero, presenter of the children's TV show Band Kids played by Renata Sayuri
  • Kira Bailey, American Girl character

See also

  • Keira (given name)
  • Kiera
  • Kiran
  • Kyra (given name)

References

  1. ^ "Persian meaning of the name Kira". Baby Names Country. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
    - "Kira". Mom. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  2. ^ "Kira". Think Baby Names. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  3. ^ "Female Russian Names". 20,000 Names. Archived from the original on 7 February 2017. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  4. ^ Н. А. Петровский (N. A. Petrovsky (2005). Словарь русских личных имён [Dictionary of Russian Personal Names] (in Russian). Moscow: Русские словари. p. 31. ISBN 5-17-002940-3.
  5. ^ "Gaelic meaning of the name Kira". Baby Name Wizard.[dead link]
  6. ^ "Kyra=". Think Baby Names. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  7. ^ "Origin and Meaning of the Name Kira". Nickleodeon Parents Connect. Viacom. Archived from the original on 8 April 2010. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  8. ^ "Kyra". Think Baby Names. Retrieved 4 April 2024.


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