Ciaran

Ciaran - A very unique male name

Ciaran appeared on the charts for the first time in 1991 on position #2281. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Ciaran and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Ciaran? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Ciaran. The baby boy name Ciaran was given to 63 baby boys in 2025, ranking #1552 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 23,274 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Ciaran peaked in popularity 1 years ago in 2025 on position 1552.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Ciaran, 1-5?

Ciaran is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Ciaran is currently topping the baby name charts in Massachusetts at position #479 - and is the least popular in California at position #1,858.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Ciaran is where you live.

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Ciaran origin and meaning

Irish

From Irish Ciarán, 'little dark one', from ciar, 'dark, black'

Ciaran is the Anglicised form of Ciarán, a name borne by early Irish saints. It is spoken in two syllables, KEER-an, although the data table records three. U.S. use reached a new peak in 2025.

Attested etymology

Ciaran is a 6 letter name with 3 syllables.

To see famous people named Ciaran, pop culture references for the name Ciaran and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Ciaran

We've found the following names that sound similar to Ciaran, sorted by popularity.

Carmen / Carmine / Corwin / Curren / Caron / Curran / Carmon / Carmino / Carman / Corin /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Ciaran

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Ciaran a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Ciaran?

3 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

KEER-an · /ˈkɪər.É™n/
Spoken in two syllables, KEER-an, although the data table records three syllables

Around the world

• Ciarán (Irish) — The original Irish form with the accent

Spellings and nicknames

• Kieran — The more common Anglicised spelling
• Keiran — A variant spelling

Famous bearers

None yet — the name first appears in the data in 1991, and its oldest bearers are still young.

Style

International

Why parents choose it

Parents choose Ciaran for an authentic Irish name that is still uncommon in the U.S.

Worth knowing

• The data table records three syllables, but Ciaran is spoken as two: KEER-an
• English speakers often guess see-AH-ran or SY-ran on first reading