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Kiri as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Kiri

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The baby name Kiri is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced KEE-ree — /ˈkiːri/,KIH-ree — /ˈkɪri/.

Kiri is Japanese, Khmer in Origin.

Gender: Female
Syllables: 2.0
Origin: Japanese, Khmer
Pronunciation: KEE-ree — /ˈkiːri/,KIH-ree — /ˈkɪri/

What is the meaning of the name Kiri ?

The baby name Kiri is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced KEE-ree — /ˈkiːri/,KIH-ree — /ˈkɪri/.

Kiri is Japanese, Khmer in Origin.

Kiri is a multicultural given name with distinct etymologies: Māori meaning “skin; bark,” evoking closeness to the natural world. In Japanese, Kiri can be written with kanji such as 霧 “mist” or 桐 “paulownia tree,” lending airy or botanical imagery. In Khmer and other Southeast Asian contexts it derives from Sanskrit/Pali giri “mountain,” conveying strength and elevation.

Usage: in New Zealand, it is familiar through Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, boosting mid-late 20th-century use; it appears for girls mainly but is also unisex globally. In Japan it’s unisex but uncommon; in Cambodia it’s a common masculine choice. Variants/related: romanizations Kiry (Khmer), Kirie (Japanese feminine elaboration), Kiriko (compound “child of paulownia”), and other paulownia-referencing names. From the Greek root kyrios “lord,” related names like Kyrie, Kyra, and Cyril/Kirill share a similar sound but a separate origin. Short, international, and nature-rich, Kiri fits modern, cross-cultural tastes.

Kiri has the following similar or variant Names

Kiri – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Girls 1989 #1 522
BF 0 #10 1 188
BF Boys 0 #26 1 439
JP 0 #77 1 4,057
CY Boys 0 #129 3 3,473
GR 0 #135 1 3,911
RS Boys 0 #154 1 2,277
Sweden Girls 2006 #162 2 1,276
CR 0 #165 1 5,526
HU Boys 0 #174 1 3,954
PR Boys 0 #177 2 2,508
AE 0 #187 1 10,220
DK 0 #206 1 5,198
AO Girls 0 #217 1 4,575
BG Boys 0 #220 1 3,850
LU Boys 0 #220 1 4,970
HU Girls 0 #225 1 3,308
JP Girls 0 #248 4 6,592
AO Boys 0 #249 1 5,568
GR Girls 0 #249 1 6,293
MO Girls 0 #263 1 7,056
GR Boys 0 #272 2 6,912
JM Girls 0 #277 2 7,507
SG 0 #282 1 11,010
TW Girls 0 #289 1 8,139
Canada Girls 2006 #290 6 2,679
KZ Boys 0 #293 4 6,578
AL Boys 0 #299 5 5,122
CZ Boys 0 #302 4 6,530
JP Boys 0 #302 2 7,909
DK Girls 0 #303 14 7,429
SA 0 #308 5 10,560
KZ Girls 0 #332 1 5,862
QA Girls 0 #342 2 15,378
CZ Girls 0 #351 1 5,378
HK 0 #355 3 8,483
CN Girls 0 #358 2 8,829
SD Girls 0 #358 1 7,678
GH Boys 0 #360 2 8,138
PL Girls 0 #363 2 5,096
MU Boys 0 #367 3 8,477
PT Boys 0 #381 1 7,951
JO Boys 0 #388 2 7,057
PH Boys 0 #408 1 11,440
UY Boys 0 #411 3 5,922
EG 0 #412 1 6,387
OM Girls 0 #424 1 15,987
PH Girls 0 #429 1 13,098
CL 0 #433 2 6,867
SD Boys 0 #465 2 10,523
ZA 0 #474 1 14,421
RU Boys 0 #490 16 12,621
PA Boys 0 #501 5 9,305
CR Boys 0 #510 1 10,188
PA Girls 0 #517 2 9,861
RU Girls 0 #518 6 11,913
LY 0 #520 16 12,703
IQ Girls 0 #524 2 11,303
UY Girls 0 #536 1 6,731
IR Girls 0 #545 1 8,334
PS Girls 0 #547 1 10,981
HK Boys 0 #550 8 12,905
CM Girls 0 #558 3 11,671
IR Boys 0 #559 7 10,162
KW Girls 0 #559 3 19,177
PS Boys 0 #561 1 10,655
BH 0 #586 2 17,937
AE Girls 0 #597 1 20,968
HK Girls 0 #597 19 16,104
BO Boys 0 #622 1 9,244
IL Boys 0 #623 3 10,983
SG Girls 0 #631 2 18,916
IL Girls 0 #644 2 11,648
BO Girls 0 #651 1 9,488
IN Girls 0 #652 3 13,121
QA Boys 0 #664 44 18,093
Finland Boys 2026 #669 14 3,552
IQ Boys 0 #692 6 13,071
CL Boys 0 #698 3 13,390
Finland Girls 2026 #732 7 3,895
SG Boys 0 #733 7 17,960
SY 0 #767 1 11,684
KW Boys 0 #802 5 18,755
TN 0 #807 23 13,765
Germany Girls 0 #813 26 4,949
NG Girls 0 #821 6 15,093
United States Boys 2023 #894 5 7,053
United States Girls 2024 #902 15 8,487
Spain Boys 0 #909 22 5,610
CL Girls 0 #912 4 14,098
OM Boys 0 #917 2 17,948
PE Boys 0 #919 8 14,506
SA Girls 0 #920 16 25,931
EG Boys 0 #921 5 15,035
Germany Boys 0 #931 22 5,697
EG Girls 0 #931 29 14,742
NG Boys 0 #932 20 16,906
NL Girls 0 #940 16 5,933
NL Boys 0 #942 10 5,873
MX Boys 0 #964 19 16,355
CO Boys 0 #977 5 15,656
IN Boys 0 #991 11 16,750
PE Girls 0 #1,008 3 14,861
MY Girls 0 #1,068 5 24,821
MY Boys 0 #1,075 37 25,439
MA 0 #1,077 52 20,986
DZ 0 #1,099 78 20,130
ZA Girls 0 #1,132 10 25,928
AE Boys 0 #1,135 9 22,615
CO Girls 0 #1,147 6 16,140
ZA Boys 0 #1,164 15 25,619
MX Girls 0 #1,169 15 17,781
TR 0 #1,250 5 19,440
IT Girls 0 #1,428 19 9,415
IT Boys 0 #1,441 31 10,046
SA Boys 0 #1,570 45 28,008

Kiri is popular in 66 countries — most recent births per country:

United States
Canada
Scotland, United Kingdom
Ireland
AE

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People also ask about Kiri

Kiri is predominantly a girl's name.
Kiri is a 2 syllable name, pronounced KEE-ree — /ˈkiːri/,KIH-ree — /ˈkɪri/.
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Kīri (alternate spelling), 桐 (Japanese kanji form), Kiri- as element in compound names (e.g. and Kiriko).
Across languages, Kiri has these equivalents: Giri (Sanskrit root meaning 'mountain'), Kira (similar-sounding name used in various languages), Kiriko (Japanese related/derived form).
Yes, very popular — Kiri ranked #1 in Ireland in 1989, and appears in official birth registries across 6 countries.
Kiri ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 1989).
Kiri's popularity is rising significantly. It moved from #923 in 2014 to #902 in 2024 in United States.