| Ciara | Saoirse | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | dark, black-haired | Freedom |
| Origin | irish | Irish |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | KEER-ah | SEER-shuh |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1972 | 1993 |
| Peak year | 2005 (2,325) | 2020 (373) |
| In 2025 | 155 | 222 |
| Trend | Declining | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Ciara | Saoirse |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 1,089 | 1,768 |
| 2010s | 3,996 | 1,853 |
| 2000s | 12,046 | 383 |
| 1990s | 13,068 | 64 |
| 1980s | 4,445 | 0 |
| 1970s | 232 | 0 |
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.
Saoirse is the Irish word for “freedom” or “liberty,” popularised in the 20th century.
Saoirse is more popular than Ciara today: about 222 US babies were given the name Saoirse in 2025, compared with 155 named Ciara.
Ciara means dark, black-haired (irish origin), while Saoirse means Freedom (Irish origin).
In US records, Ciara first appears in 1972 and Saoirse in 1993, so Ciara has the longer recorded history.