As parents, many of us will notice that our names aren’t as popular anymore; they may even be going extinct. It’s not really the nicest feeling, if not completely surprising.
Naming trends go in and out of style, and some names have to go completely out of fashion before they are picked up again.
One Irish name in particular has been declining over the past few years and it was once a top choice for parents.
The rise and fall of a popular Millennial name
The name Ciara was one of the fastest-falling Irish names in 2023, dropping 21 places from 74 on the list in 2022, when 75 little Ciaras were born, to 95 the following year, when only 53 Ciaras were born in Ireland.
The name has continued to lose popularity, with it being chosen for just 44 little girls last year.
This is in contrast to the 90s, when Ciara featured in the top five on more than one occasion. You probably know a Ciara, or six or seven, as it was once one of the most popular names in the country.
It entered the top 20 in the late 70s/early 80s and moved into the top 10, peaking in 1998 when it reached the number two spot.
It remained popular in the 2000s before declining in popularity slightly towards the end of the decade. It dropped out of the top 20 in the latter part of the 2010s and has been declining ever since.
Meaning of the name Ciara
Ciara (pronounced kee-ra in Ireland, not see-air-ah like in the US) is an Irish name and the feminine form of the name Ciarán, which means ‘little dark one’. It comes from the word ciar, meaning ‘dark’, and was used by the Celts to describe how people looked.
Ciara means ‘dark-haired’ and was reserved for those whose hair and eyes resembled the captivating night sky.
Ciara is a lovely and easy-to-pronounce Irish name that many people recognize.
* This article was originally published on EveryMum.ie.
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