Find out how popular the last name Ciara is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Ciara.

Ciara, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Ciara surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ciara in America

Ciara is the 137327th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ciara surname appeared 122 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Ciara.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ciara to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Ciara

The surname Ciara has its origins in Ireland, where it first emerged in the early medieval period. It is derived from the Gaelic word "ciar," meaning "black" or "dark," and was likely originally used as a descriptive nickname for someone with dark hair or complexion.

The name can be traced back to the 7th century, with references to individuals bearing this surname found in ancient Irish annals and genealogical records. One notable early figure was Ciara of Disert-Ciaran, a 6th-century Irish saint and founder of the monastery of Seirkieran.

In the 12th century, the surname appears in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. The entry mentions a certain Ciaran O'Conor, who was the Bishop of Elphin from 1180 to 1213.

The Ciara surname is also linked to several place names in Ireland, such as Ciarraí (County Kerry) and Ciarraige (a medieval territory located in parts of modern-day counties Galway and Mayo). These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Ciara. One prominent figure was Donal Ciara O'Brien (c. 1185-1242), an Irish king who ruled the Kingdom of Thomond in the early 13th century.

Another notable bearer of the name was Fearghal Ciara O'Duigenan (c. 1575-1644), an Irish historian and chronicler who wrote extensively about the history and genealogy of Gaelic families in Ireland.

In the 17th century, the name appears in the Annals of the Four Masters again, with a reference to Aodh Ciara O'Donnell (1598-1661), an Irish chieftain and leader of the O'Donnell clan.

Moving into the 18th century, we find Seamus Ciara O'Conor (1720-1790), an Irish politician and member of the Irish House of Commons, who represented County Sligo.

Finally, in the 19th century, there was Eoghan Ciara O'Growney (1863-1899), an Irish priest, writer, and language revivalist who played a significant role in the Gaelic Revival movement.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ciara

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Ciara.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Ciara was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Ciara has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Ciara was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Ciara, please contact us.

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