Ciaran
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- KEER-an
- Origin
- Irish
- UK rank, 2025
- #694 for boys
- US rank, 2025
- #1,609 for boys
Big in ScotlandBig in Northern Ireland
Ciaran is a boys' name of Irish origin, meaning “little dark one”. In 2025 it ranked 694th for boys in the UK (57 babies) and 1,609th for boys in the US (105 babies).
What does Ciaran mean?
Irish: anglicised Ciarán, from ciar, dark, plus a diminutive ending
“little dark one”
St Ciarán of Clonmacnoise founded one of Ireland's great early monasteries in the 6th century.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Ciaran a girl's or a boy's name?
Ciaran is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 57 boys in the UK and 5 girls and 105 boys in the US.
How popular is Ciaran in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #694among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 57about 1 in 5,300 boys
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 36% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 57 boys in the UK were named Ciaran, making it the 694th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 488th. Its busiest year was 2004, with 723 boys.
Half of all the boys named Ciaran in the UK since 1996 were born between 2000 and 2009. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
In 2025, 228 boys in the UK were given Ciaran or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #241, up from #694 for this spelling alone.
Among boys in 2025, it was 953rd in England and Wales, 253rd in Scotland and 212th in Northern Ireland.
Ciaran in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 57 | #694 |
| 2024 | 72 | #591 |
| 2023 | 54 | #718 |
| 2022 | 65 | #630 |
| 2021 | 70 | #602 |
| 2020 | 88 | #488 |
| 2019 | 94 | #476 |
| 2018 | 102 | #451 |
| 2017 | 94 | #483 |
| 2016 | 104 | #445 |
| 2015 | 118 | #406 |
| 2014 | 120 | #392 |
| 2013 | 144 | #334 |
| 2012 | 177 | #294 |
| 2011 | 265 | #220 |
| 2010 | 275 | #213 |
| 2009 | 297 | #199 |
| 2008 | 330 | #180 |
| 2007 | 332 | #177 |
| 2006 | 377 | #156 |
| 2005 | 514 | #125 |
| 2004 | 723 | #92 |
| 2003 | 635 | #99 |
| 2002 | 460 | #119 |
| 2001 | 446 | #117 |
| 2000 | 482 | #117 |
| 1999 | 490 | #118 |
| 1998 | 512 | #112 |
| 1997 | 531 | #111 |
| 1996 | 353 | #130 |
How popular is Ciaran in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #1,609among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 105about 1 in 16,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Risingup 47% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 105 boys in the US were named Ciaran, making it the 1,609th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 2,046th. It first appears in the records in 1959. 5 girls were also named Ciaran in 2025 (14,937th for girls).
2025 had the most boys named Ciaran of any year since it first appeared, in 1959.
Half of all the boys named Ciaran in the US since 1880 were born between 2003 and 2019, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 1,709 boys in the US were given Ciaran or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #231, up from #1,609 for this spelling alone.
Ciaran in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 105 | #1,609 |
| 2024 | 93 | #1,767 |
| 2023 | 82 | #1,909 |
| 2022 | 83 | #1,891 |
| 2021 | 71 | #2,059 |
| 2020 | 69 | #2,046 |
| 2019 | 61 | #2,264 |
| 2018 | 61 | #2,229 |
| 2017 | 60 | #2,216 |
| 2016 | 67 | #2,086 |
| 2015 | 74 | #1,955 |
| 2014 | 83 | #1,794 |
| 2013 | 81 | #1,781 |
| 2012 | 61 | #2,171 |
| 2011 | 78 | #1,823 |
| 2010 | 62 | #2,143 |
| 2009 | 74 | #1,924 |
| 2008 | 79 | #1,838 |
| 2007 | 70 | #1,995 |
| 2006 | 63 | #2,081 |
| 2005 | 60 | #2,057 |
| 2004 | 65 | #1,876 |
| 2003 | 61 | #1,903 |
| 2002 | 47 | #2,220 |
| 2001 | 49 | #2,113 |
| 2000 | 41 | #2,326 |
| 1999 | 45 | #2,095 |
| 1998 | 48 | #1,984 |
| 1997 | 41 | #2,123 |
| 1996 | 36 | #2,249 |
| 1995 | 27 | #2,680 |
| 1994 | 38 | #2,118 |
| 1993 | 26 | #2,691 |
| 1992 | 17 | #3,597 |
| 1991 | 17 | #3,456 |
| 1990 | 8 | #5,816 |
| 1989 | 16 | #3,440 |
| 1988 | 11 | #4,157 |
| 1987 | 12 | #3,726 |
| 1986 | 11 | #3,878 |
| 1985 | 0 | – |
| 1984 | 7 | #4,969 |
| 1983 | 0 | – |
| 1982 | 5 | #6,383 |
| 1981 | 0 | – |
| 1980 | 0 | – |
| 1979 | 7 | #4,840 |
| 1978 | 0 | – |
| 1977 | 5 | #5,843 |
| 1976 | 0 | – |
| 1975 | 0 | – |
| 1974 | 0 | – |
| 1973 | 0 | – |
| 1972 | 0 | – |
| 1971 | 5 | #4,905 |
| 1970 | 0 | – |
| 1969 | 5 | #4,403 |
| 1968 | 5 | #4,135 |
| 1967 | 0 | – |
| 1966 | 0 | – |
| 1965 | 0 | – |
| 1964 | 0 | – |
| 1963 | 0 | – |
| 1962 | 0 | – |
| 1961 | 0 | – |
| 1960 | 0 | – |
| 1959 | 6 | #3,618 |
Names like Ciaran
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Declan Conan Ronan Finn Aiden Keegan Caelan Conlan Kian Callan Regan Brogan
Other spellings of Ciaran
Kieran Kyren Kyran Kyron Kieron Khyren Kirin Kieren Kiren Khyrin Khyron Keeran
Names related to Ciaran
More Irish names
Oscar Rowan Rory Maeve Ryan Nolan Quinn Orla Cody Erin Connor Casey Kennedy Lennon Cillian Kevin
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Ciaran: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/ciaran, updated 20 October 2026.