Ciaira
A variant spelling of Ciara, an Irish feminine name meaning "little dark one".
Name Census estimates that about 166 living Americans carry the first name Ciaira. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Ciaira today is around 29 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ciaira births was 1995 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ciaira. 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
166
~ 1 in 2,064,785 Americans
Peak year
1995
14 babies that year
Average age
29
years old
2007 SSA rank
#14,244
Tracked since 1985
Popularity
Ciaira: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ciaira from the 1980s through to the 2000s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 93 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1990s peak, Ciaira remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ciaira 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 Ciaira 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 Ciaira
The name Ciaira is believed to have originated from the Irish Gaelic language, with roots tracing back to ancient Celtic cultures. The name is thought to be a variation or derivative of the name Ciara, which itself has ties to the old Irish word "ciar" meaning "black" or "dark-featured."
In its earliest forms, Ciaira was likely a descriptive name used to refer to individuals with dark hair, dark eyes, or olive complexions. As the name spread and evolved through different regions, slight variations in spelling and pronunciation emerged, giving rise to the modern form, Ciaira.
While there are no definitive historical records or ancient texts that explicitly reference the name Ciaira, it is believed to have been in use as early as the 5th or 6th century AD among Celtic communities in Ireland and parts of Scotland.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Ciaira was Ciaira of Connemara, an Irish noblewoman who lived in the 8th century AD. She was renowned for her beauty and grace, and her name became associated with elegance and refinement.
Another notable figure was Ciaira O'Brien, a 12th-century Irish poet and bard who composed intricate verses celebrating the natural beauty of her homeland. Her works have been preserved and studied by scholars as examples of early Irish literature.
In the 15th century, Ciaira MacLeod was a Scottish chieftain's daughter who played a pivotal role in negotiating peace between rival clans during a time of conflict. Her diplomacy and wisdom earned her respect and admiration from her contemporaries.
During the 17th century, Ciaira Fitzgerald was a celebrated Irish singer and harpist who performed at the court of King James I in England. Her melodic talents and captivating stage presence made her a beloved entertainer of her era.
In more recent history, Ciaira O'Connor was an Irish activist and suffragette who fought tirelessly for women's rights and equality in the early 20th century. Her unwavering determination and commitment to social justice left a lasting impact on the feminist movement.
People
Ciaira + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ciaira 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
Ciaira: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ciaira?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 166 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ciaira 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 2,064,785 US residents.
Is Ciaira a common name?
We classify Ciaira as "Very Rare". It ranks above 71.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 171 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ciaira most popular?
The single biggest year for Ciaira was 1995, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ciaira is about 29 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Ciaira a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ciaira 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.