Ciara

Updated: November 15, 2021 by MomsWhoThink Staff

Ciara is a unique baby name in that it's both a traditional Irish name with a Gaelic pronunciation, but it's also a popular American name with an entirely different pronunciation. Either way, it's a name associated with everyone from a saint to a popular singer, and it has many unique spellings. Ciara was pretty popular throughout the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s, though it's fallen out of favor a bit in recent years.

Meaning of the name Ciara:

Irish: Dark-haired one
American: Saw

Origin of the name Ciara:

Ciara is an Irish name born from the word “ciar,” which means “black.” For this reason, it's come to mean “dark-haired one” or it could refer to someone with darker skin. In the United States, it's also considered an Americanized version of the Spanish name Sierra, which means “saw” and is often used to refer to mountains.

Symbolism of the name Ciara:

Because of its meaning, Ciara may be a name used to symbolize someone with dark hair or dark skin. The Americanized version could also symbolize mountains. Mountains symbolize many things to many people, but some of the most common interpretations are permanence, stillness, and firmness.

Style of the name Ciara:

Traditional, International

Gender of the name Ciara:

Ciara is a girl's baby name.

Pronunciation of the name Ciara:

kee-AHR-ah or see-AHR-ah or KEER-ah

Number of syllables in the name Ciara:

Two or three, depending on pronunciation

Emotion evoked from the name Ciara:

The baby name Ciara evokes images of someone who is strong-willed and will work hard to achieve her goals.

Alternative spellings for the name Ciara:

Sierra
Chiara
Kyra
Kiara
Ceara

Nicknames for the name Ciara:

CiCi
Kiki

Popularity of the name Ciara:

According to the Social Security Administration, Ciara was a top 1,000 baby name for girls in the United States between 1982 and 2016. It was most popular in 2005 when it ranked at number 149. It last ranked at number 872 in 2016.