Ciara vs Finola
Ciara and Finolacompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2004, Ciara was ranked #6 and Finola #677 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Ciara was ranked #722 and Finola #4192 among girls in England and Wales.
Ciara and Finola over time
Ciara and Finola appear together in 2 published lists, across 51 years of shared records. Ciara held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Finola in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Finola reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Ciara in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- Longest-running competitions
Ciara and Finola were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 32 years, from 1964 to 2004, ending at #6 and #677.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Ciara #124 in 1998, Finola #1365 in 1997.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1964 they stood at #146 and #149 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 3 places apart; by 2004 they were #6 and #677.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls32 shared years, 1964–2004
Ciara held the stronger position in 32 of those years, Finola in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ciara #3 in 1997, Finola #149 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2004: Ciara #6, Finola #677.
England and Wales · Girls19 shared years, 1996–2024
Ciara held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Finola in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ciara #124 in 1998, Finola #1365 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ciara #722, Finola #4192.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Ciara | Finola |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Feminine form of Ciar; traditionally interpreted as 'dark' or 'black', historically describing hair or complexion. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Irish | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈkɪərə/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | GB-ENW, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #106 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #4192 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ciara has a recorded origin (Irish); Finola does not have one recorded yet.
- Ciara has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Finola.
- A meaning is recorded for Ciara; Finola doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Ciara
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #146 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #2 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1998 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #106 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Finola
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #149 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2004
Highest recorded position: #149 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2004).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #4192 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls