Ciara vs Laura
Ciara and Lauracompared 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 2025, Ciara was ranked #106 and Laura #112 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Ciara was ranked #127 and Laura #253 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Ciara was ranked #215 and Laura #351 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Ciara was ranked #722 and Laura #258 among girls in England and Wales.
Ciara and Laura over time
Ciara and Laura appear together in 3 published lists, across 119 years of shared records. Ciara held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Laura in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Laura 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2024, Ciara moved ahead of Laura in Northern Ireland · Girls — #237 and #237 the year before became #127 and #253.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Ciara and Laura changed places 9 times in Northern Ireland · Girls between 1997 and 2024, ending at #127 and #253.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Girls, Ciara and Laura averaged 24.1 places apart, ending at #127 and #253.
- Longest-running competitions
Ciara and Laura were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 62 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #106 and #112.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Ciara #124 in 1998, Laura #17 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls62 shared years, 1964–2025
Ciara held the stronger position in 38 of those years, Laura in 24.
Highest recorded here: Ciara #2 in 1998, Laura #2 in 1985.
The order changed in 1996: Ciara moved ahead. In 1995 they stood at #6 and #4; by 1996 that had become #4 and #6.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ciara #106, Laura #112.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ciara held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Laura in 29.
Highest recorded here: Ciara #124 in 1998, Laura #17 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ciara #722, Laura #258.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Ciara held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Laura in 9.
Highest recorded here: Ciara #18 in 1997, Laura #13 in 1997.
The order changed in 2024: Ciara moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #237 and #237; by 2024 that had become #127 and #253.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ciara #127, Laura #253.
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 | Laura |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Feminine form of Ciar; traditionally interpreted as 'dark' or 'black', historically describing hair or complexion. | From Latin 'laurus' meaning 'laurel' — laurel wreaths honoured victors in ancient Rome. Also the subject of 14th-century Italian poet Petrarch's poems. |
| Origin | Irish | Latin |
| Pronunciation | /ˈkɪərə/ | /ˈlɔɹ.ə/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #106 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #112 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ciara is recorded with a Irish origin, while Laura is recorded with a Latin origin.
- Ciara and Laura both have 2 syllables.
- Ciara's recorded meaning differs from Laura's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, 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
Laura
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #313 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #2 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1985 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #141 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls