Girl · #1,386 in 2026

Ciara

Ciara is a popular Irish language female name and was tenth on the list of most popular names given to baby girls in Ireland in 2006. It is the feminine version of the name Ciarán, meaning "dark-haired", and was also the name of Saint Ciara, a seventh-century Irish saint venerated by the Roman Catholic Church. The name is often anglicized as Keira, Kiara, or Kiera.

Current Rank
#1,386
Peak Rank
#149 (2005)
Total Babies
35K
5-Yr Trend
-23%
1972
First Year
2026
Last Year
2005
Peak Year
#149
Peak Rank
35K
Total Count
54
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Ciara

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Ciara is a popular Irish language female name and was tenth on the list of most popular names given to baby girls in Ireland in 2006. It is the feminine version of the name Ciarán, meaning "dark-haired", and was also the name of Saint Ciara, a seventh-century Irish saint venerated by the Roman Catholic Church. The name is often anglicized as Keira, Kiara, or Kiera.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Ciara

Ciara first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1972, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2005, when 2,325 Ciaras were born — ranking #149 that year. As of 2026, Ciara ranks #1,386 for baby girls with 161 births, falling sharply (-23%). In total, more than 35K Ciaras have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Notable people named Ciara

A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.

  • Ciara Baxendale (born 1995), British actress
  • Ciara Bravo (born 1997), American actress, pronounced "Sierra"
  • Ciara Considine , a musician known for her Celtic and folk music
  • Ciara Conway (born 1980), Irish Labour Party politician, Teachta Dála (TD) for Waterford from 2011 to 2016
  • Ciara Gaynor , a camogie player
  • Ciara Gibson-Byrne (born 1992), British water polo player
  • Ciara Grant (footballer, born 1978)
  • Ciara Grant (footballer, born 1993)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Names that sound like Ciara

Phonetically similar names — useful when Ciara is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Ciara

What does the name Ciara mean?
Ciara is a popular Irish language female name and was tenth on the list of most popular names given to baby girls in Ireland in 2006. It is the feminine version of the name Ciarán, meaning "dark-haired", and was also the name of Saint Ciara, a seventh-century Irish saint venerated by the Roman Catholic Church. The name is often anglicized as Keira, Kiara, or Kiera.
How popular is Ciara in 2026?
In 2026, Ciara ranks #1,386 among girls' names in the U.S., with 161 babies given the name that year.
When was Ciara most popular?
Ciara reached its peak popularity in 2005, ranking #149 that year with 2,325 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Ciara most popular?
Ciara has historically been most popular in U.S. Territories, South Dakota, New Mexico. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Ciara.
Is Ciara a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Ciara is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Ciara?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Ciara include Shanna, River, Diamond. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Ciara

Ciara is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1972 and has accumulated 35K births in the dataset. Ciara's peak popularity came in 2005 when it ranked #149. Use the chart and map above to compare Ciara's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.