CIARÁN
CIARÁN, genitive -áin, Kieran; diminutive of ciar, black; the name of no fewer than fifteen Irish saints mentioned in the Martyrology of Donegal, of whom the best known are St. Kieran of Saighir, patron of the Diocese of Ossory, and St. Kieran, Abbot of Clonmacnoise and patron of that diocese. Their feasts occur respectively on 5th March and 9th September. Ciarán is still a common Christian name in Cape Clear and is also in use in parts of Connacht. Latin — Ceranus, Kiranus, Kieranus.
Alphabetical Index to Names of Men (Irish-English)
Note: The old Irish letters used in the original text* have been converted to the Roman alphabet for this online version, and the lenited (or dotted) consonants changed to their aspirated equivalents, i.e. the dotted 'c' has been altered to 'ch', the dotted 'g' to 'gh', and the dotted 'm' to 'mh', etc. For example, in the name Caoimgin (Kevin), where the 'm' and 'g' are both dotted (ṁ, ġ) in the old Irish lettering, the name has been converted here to the modern Irish equivalent of Caoimhghin.
* Sloinnte Gaedheal is Gall: Irish Names and Surnames by Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923.