Ciarán
/ˈkʲiəˌrˠɑːn̪ˠ/noun
An Irish male given name meaning “little dark one” or “little black-haired one.”
Did you know?Ciarán comes from Irish ciar, meaning “dark” or “black,” plus the diminutive suffix -án, so the name was originally a tender way to describe dark hair or a dark complexion.
Etymological Timeline
Old Irish
Old Irish
Ciarán
“A diminutive personal name meaning “little dark one” or “little dark-haired one.””
Old Irish
Old Irish
ciar
“Dark, black, or dusky.”
Proto-Celtic
PCelt
*kīro-
“Dark, black, or dusky.”
Modern Irish
Irish
ciar
“Dark-colored; blackish; dusky.”