Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Ciara

Ciara is an Irish female name from the Gaelic “Ciarán” meaning “little dark one” or "little black one". The male (Ciarán) and female (Ciara) versions of this name have been in use in Ireland for over 1,500 years! In ancient and medieval times, the names Ciarán/Ciara would have been given to babies with dark features (i.e., brown hair, brown eyes). Similar to Rúadhán meaning “little red one” or Fionn/Fiona for “the fair one”, it was common for ancient Celts to use names which described the physical characteristics of a person. One notable name bearer was a 7th century Irish saint, St. Ciara, an abbess who established a monastery in Kilkeary Township in County Tipperary. There were also two 6th century Irish male saints named Ciarán recognized as two of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland. In other words, Ciarán and Ciara are both ancient and illustrious Irish names. Ciara is also the defacto traditional Irish spelling (Keira, Kiara, etc. are the anglicized or Americanized variations). Ciara is a very high ranking female name in Ireland (the 15th most popular girl’s name in 2010) and a Top 60 name in Northern Ireland. England, Wales, Scotland, Australia and Canada (like the United States) seem to opt for the anglicized versions of Keira or Kiera.

All About the Baby Name – Ciara

Personality

OF THE GIRL NAME CIARA

The number Five personality loves the excitement of life and can easily adapt to all situations. As natural adventurers, these personalities thrive on the new and unexpected and prefer to be in constant motion. It makes them feel alive. They'll stir up some action if there's not enough around, and as inherent risk-takers they enjoy pushing the envelope. Naturally rebellious, the Five personality has no fear and never resists change.  Traveling and new experiences feed their souls. Fives are very social and attract friends with ease. People love to be around the Five fun-loving and exciting energy.  This is also a lucky number in numerology (like the Threes), so fortune seems to shine on them, helped along by their own optimism and good-nature. Fives have a quick wit, a cerebral mind, and are generally very persuasive. 

Popularity

OF THE GIRL NAME CIARA

This dark Irish beauty first appeared on the American female naming charts in 1982. Very quickly the name rose to levels of high-moderation in terms of usage. Her peak popularity came a decade apart. Once in 1995, Ciara was the 187th most popular girl’s name in America and then again she hit position #150 in 2005. Today the name has slipped down to the low end of moderation and is considered lightly used. Keira, Kiara, etc. are quite a bit more popular. Also, while the name is correctly pronounced “KEER-ah” in the Gaelic tongue, many Americans prefer the three-syllable “KEE-ar-ah”, “kee-AIR-ah” or even “see-AIR-ah”. If you’re a parent of Irish descent or just a fan of Irish culture and Gaelic names, then we say stick with the Irish spelling of Ciara. It has more of a Celtic/Gaelic flair when it’s spelled the traditional way. In fact, if you don’t plan to pronounce this name “KEER-ah”, then you may want to go with a non-Irish spelling of the name. Although American hip-hop singer Ciara might disagree with us (she pronounces her name like “see-AIR-ah”) and has probably influenced the popularity of this old Irish classic among African-Americans. In any case, protectors of culture and tradition are often persnickety about this particular name’s pronunciation. It’s KEER-ah, people, KEER-ah. Especially if you plan to spell it Ciara.

Quick Facts

ON CIARA

GENDER:

Girl

ORIGIN:

Celtic

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

2

RANKING POPULARITY:

650

PRONUNCIATION:

KEER-ah

SIMPLE MEANING:

Little dark one

Characteristics

OF CIARA

Freedom-loving

Adventurous

Adaptable

Intellectual

Easygoing

Progressive

Sensual

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Ciara

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME CIARA

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of Ciara

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME CIARA

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Ciara


Popular Songs

ON CIARA

Ciara
an Irish song by The Tossers

Famous People

NAMED CIARA

Ciara Harris (American singer who goes by “Ciara”)

Children of Famous People

NAMED CIARA

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Ciara

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME CIARA

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Ciara