| Ciara | Deirdre | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | dark, black-haired | Sorrowful |
| Origin | irish | Irish |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | KEER-ah | DEER-druh |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1972 | 1921 |
| Peak year | 2005 (2,325) | 1961 (799) |
| In 2025 | 155 | 13 |
| Trend | Declining | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Ciara | Deirdre |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 1,089 | 85 |
| 2010s | 3,996 | 206 |
| 2000s | 12,046 | 544 |
| 1990s | 13,068 | 1,206 |
| 1980s | 4,445 | 2,049 |
| 1970s | 232 | 3,123 |
| 1960s | 0 | 6,321 |
| 1950s | 0 | 2,274 |
| 1940s | 0 | 822 |
| 1930s | 0 | 167 |
| 1920s | 0 | 48 |
Feminine form of the Irish name Ciar/Ciaran, from Old Irish 'ciar' meaning 'black, dark'. Traditionally understood as 'dark-haired' or 'dark complexioned' rather than anything sinister.
Deirdre is usually read “sorrowful”; she is a tragic heroine of Irish legend.
Ciara is more popular than Deirdre today: about 155 US babies were given the name Ciara in 2025, compared with 13 named Deirdre.
Ciara means dark, black-haired (irish origin), while Deirdre means Sorrowful (Irish origin).
In US records, Ciara first appears in 1972 and Deirdre in 1921, so Deirdre has the longer recorded history.