Cieran
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- KEER-an
- Origin
- Irish
Cieran is a boys' name of Irish origin, meaning “little dark one”. Too few babies were given it in the latest year to rank.
What does Cieran mean?
Irish: variant of Ciaran, from ciar 'dark' plus a diminutive ending
“little dark one”
Variant of Ciaran, the name of Saint Ciaran of Clonmacnoise, a 6th-century Irish abbot.
Is Cieran a girl's or a boy's name?
Cieran is a boys' name.
How popular is Cieran in the UK?
No boys in the UK were given it in 2025, or too few to be listed. Its busiest year was 2004, with 56 boys.
Half of all the boys named Cieran in the UK since 1996 were born between 1999 and 2005. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
Cieran in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 6 | #3,179 |
| 2020 | 1 | #6,143 |
| 2019 | 0 | – |
| 2018 | 0 | – |
| 2017 | 0 | – |
| 2016 | 2 | #6,340 |
| 2015 | 6 | #3,149 |
| 2014 | 4 | #4,063 |
| 2013 | 5 | #3,466 |
| 2012 | 6 | #3,167 |
| 2011 | 7 | #2,736 |
| 2010 | 11 | #2,013 |
| 2009 | 15 | #1,582 |
| 2008 | 15 | #1,547 |
| 2007 | 19 | #1,290 |
| 2006 | 32 | #864 |
| 2005 | 38 | #742 |
| 2004 | 56 | #512 |
| 2003 | 55 | #489 |
| 2002 | 32 | #667 |
| 2001 | 35 | #603 |
| 2000 | 43 | #517 |
| 1999 | 37 | #575 |
| 1998 | 36 | #569 |
| 1997 | 28 | #652 |
| 1996 | 31 | #590 |
Names like Cieran
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Declan Regan Brogan Conlan Keelan Ryan Keenan Keegan Connor Aiden Conan Rogan
Names related to Cieran
More Irish names
Oscar Rowan Rory Maeve Finn Nolan Quinn Orla Cody Erin Ronan Casey Kennedy Callan Lennon Cillian
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland) and Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Cieran: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/cieran, updated 20 October 2026.