UK girl's name
Ceara
Feminine given name derived from an Irish place name, possibly meaning "territory of the fertile lands".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2010. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Ceara is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Ceara popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2010 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5707, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1999, with 24 births.
This profile covers 126 England and Wales registrations across 13 recorded years from 1996 to 2010. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 13% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 155 living people in the UK are called Ceara. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2011 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Ceara ranked #5707 for girls in England and Wales in 2010, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1999, when 24 girls were registered as Ceara.
- • Ceara ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #439 in 2008.
- • About 155 living people in the UK are estimated to have Ceara as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5707
2010
Births in 2010
3
Latest year
Peak year
1999
24 births
Estimated living
155
2026
Meaning
What does Ceara mean?
The name Ceara has its origins in the Irish language and Gaelic culture, dating back several centuries. It is derived from the old Irish word "ciar" which means "dark" or "black-haired." The name was likely given to children with dark features or hair.
In ancient Irish legends and mythology, there are references to heroic figures and characters with the name Ceara or similar spellings like Ciara or Kiara. These tales were passed down through oral tradition for generations before being recorded in writing.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Ceara can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled by monks in the 15th century. The annals mention a woman named Ceara ingen Ragnaill who lived in the 12th century.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the name Ceara. One example is Ceara Ní Chonaill, an Irish noblewoman and renowned poet who lived in the 16th century. Her poetic works, written in the Irish language, have been preserved and studied by scholars.
Another famous Ceara was Ceara Shaughnessy, an Irish revolutionary who fought for Irish independence in the early 20th century. She was a member of the Irish Citizen Army and participated in the 1916 Easter Rising against British rule.
In the realm of literature, Ceara O'Callaghan was a celebrated Irish novelist and short story writer who lived from 1923 to 2018. Her works often explored themes of identity, family, and the experiences of Irish immigrants.
In the world of sports, Ceara Grant was a Canadian track and field athlete who competed in the 1980s and 1990s. She won multiple medals at the Commonwealth Games and represented Canada at the 1988 and 1992 Olympic Games.
Lastly, Ceara Thackeray was a renowned British painter and sculptor who lived from 1869 to 1945. Her works were exhibited at the Royal Academy and other prestigious galleries, and she was known for her portraiture and figurative sculptures.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Ceara over time
The chart below shows babies named Ceara registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2010. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Ceara, the clearest high point is 1999. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2010, compared with 24 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ceara by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Ceara was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | #5707 | 3 | 1 |
| 2000s | #2560 | 65 | 8 |
| 1990s | #1392 | 58 | 4 |
Geography
Where Ceara is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Ceara. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Ceara ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #439 in 2008.
Across the UK
Ceara in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#663 in 2004
4 years of NRS records, 14 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#439 in 2008
5 years of NISRA records, 16 total registered
Related
Names similar to Ceara
- Chloe 111,265
- Charlotte 88,733
- Caitlin 28,931
- Courtney 23,162
- Chelsea 13,049
- Clara 9,435
- Connie 8,402
- Catherine 8,376
- Charlie 7,964
- Cerys 7,506
- Casey 7,018
- Cara 6,375
FAQ
Ceara: questions and answers
How popular is the name Ceara in the UK right now?
In 2010, Ceara was ranked #5707 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Ceara most popular?
The peak year on record was 1999, with 24 babies registered as Ceara in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Ceara?
Feminine given name derived from an Irish place name, possibly meaning "territory of the fertile lands".
How many people are called Ceara in the UK?
A total of 126 babies have been registered as Ceara across the 13 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 14 more in Scotland and 16 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Ceara most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Ceara ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #439 in 2008. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.