Ciarán, Kieran, Kyran, Keiran, Kieren, or Kieron (Irish pronunciation: [ˈciəɾˠaːn̪ˠ] or [ciəˈɾˠaːn̪ˠ], IPA: /ˈkɪərən/ in English) is an Irish personal name meaning 'Little Dark One', 'Dark Prince' or 'Dark Haire One'. Ciarán comes from the Irish word 'Ciar' which means 'dark' or 'black'. Ciar can be linked back to Ciar, son of Fergus, King of Ulster. It is linked with many names, like Kerry meaning Ciar's People. It is generally associated with a number of Irish saints: The earliest Christian monument in Ireland is the Kilnasaggart standing stone in County Armagh. It carries an inscription which tells how it was put in place by Ternoc Kieran. He died in 710 A.D., but the family name of Kieran remains common in that area.