Cearra
A feminine name of Irish origin meaning "gambler" or "wanderer".
Name Census estimates that about 328 living Americans carry the first name Cearra. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Cearra today is around 29 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Cearra births was 1996 (28 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Cearra. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
328
~ 1 in 1,044,983 Americans
Peak year
1996
28 babies that year
Average age
29
years old
2010 SSA rank
#17,556
Tracked since 1986
Popularity
Cearra: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Cearra from the 1980s through to the 2010s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 193 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Cearra by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Cearra during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Cearra
The name Cearra is of Irish origin, originating from the Gaelic word "ciar" which means "dark" or "black." It is believed to have originated in the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century, when the Irish language was more widely spoken and used in various texts and records.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cearra can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history dating back to the 15th century. Here, the name is mentioned in reference to a woman named Cearra Ní Dhomhnaill, who was a member of the prominent Ó Domhnaill (O'Donnell) clan in the northwest of Ireland.
In the 16th century, a notable figure named Cearra Ní Bhroin is recorded as being a poet and storyteller from County Sligo in Ireland. Her works, though not widely preserved, were said to have been influential in preserving the oral tradition of storytelling and poetry in the Irish language during that time.
Another historical reference comes from the 17th century, where a woman named Cearra Ní Chonchúir is mentioned in the Annals of the Four Masters, a renowned chronicle of medieval Irish history. She was a member of the Ó Conchúir (O'Conor) family, which held significant power and influence in the province of Connacht.
In the 18th century, a woman named Cearra Ní Dhónaill was a prominent figure in the Irish cultural revival movement. She was a skilled musician and singer, known for her efforts in preserving and promoting traditional Irish music and dance.
Moving into the 19th century, a woman named Cearra Ní Mhaoileoin was a renowned Irish language scholar and teacher. She played a significant role in preserving the Irish language during a time when it was facing decline, and her work helped to inspire future generations of Irish language enthusiasts and educators.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the name Cearra, reflecting its longstanding Irish heritage and cultural significance. While the name may not be as common today, its roots can be traced back to the rich tapestry of Irish history and tradition.
People
Cearra + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Cearra as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Cearra: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Cearra?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 328 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Cearra going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,044,983 US residents.
Is Cearra a common name?
We classify Cearra as "Very Rare". It ranks above 80.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 337 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Cearra most popular?
The single biggest year for Cearra was 1996, when 28 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Cearra is about 29 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Cearra a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Cearra in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.