Kirk
Kirk was the 2551st most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 52 babies. Its best year was 1962, when it ranked 138th with 2,560 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 853 places. More babies were named Kirk in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Meaning "church" · Old Norse, Scottish, English
Say it KURK /kɝk/
- Rank in 2025
- #2,551 boys, down 447 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 52boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19622,560 babies
- Total since 1880
- 68,264babies recorded
What does the name Kirk mean?
Kirk is the northern English and Scots word for "church", from Old Norse kirkja, which ultimately goes back to Greek kyriakon, "the Lord's (house)". It became a surname for people who lived near a church, and later a first name. Kirk came into use as a given name in the 20th century, especially in the US, where the actor Kirk Douglas made it well known.
kirkja (Old Norse, “church”)κυριακόν (Koine Greek, “(house) of the Lord”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Church.
See also: Scandinavian names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Kirk', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wikipedia, 'Kirk (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Kirk popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 197 since 1952.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,551 | 52 |
| 2020 | #2,104 | 67 |
| 2010 | #1,562 | 102 |
| 2000 | #848 | 189 |
| 1990 | #347 | 698 |
| 1980 | #272 | 789 |
| 1970 | #158 | 1,919 |
| 1960 | #142 | 2,447 |
| 1950 | #199 | 1,030 |
| 1940 | #506 | 131 |
| 1930 | #1,032 | 45 |
| 1920 | #1,215 | 36 |
| 1910 | #904 | 13 |
| 1900 | #1,414 | 5 |
| 1890 | #1,085 | 5 |
| 1880 | #875 | 6 |
How popular is Kirk, counting every spelling?
Kirk has no other common spelling that sounds the same.
How many kids will share the name Kirk?
52 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Kirk (0.01 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Kirk born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 161 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Kirk.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Kirk?
About 53,800 people born in the US named Kirk are alive today, with a median age of 58; half are between 47 and 66. That makes Kirk a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Kirk by state
How common Kirk was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. In 48 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Kirk: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Kirk, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Kirk · Sibling names for Kirk
Questions about the name Kirk
What does Kirk mean?
Kirk means “"church"” (Old Norse, Scottish, English origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Kirk?
Kirk was the 2551st most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 52 babies. Its best year was 1962, when it ranked 138th with 2,560 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 853 places. More babies were named Kirk in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Is Kirk a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Kirk in the US.
Where is Kirk most popular?
In 2021–2025, Kirk was most common in California (0.03 per 1,000 boys), followed by Florida and Texas.