Cera
A girl's name with 1,402 recorded U.S. births.
Meaning & Origin
A surname.
Cera is a girl's baby name of uncertain origin — possibly a short form of Cerise (French for 'cherry'), or a variant of Sierra (from Spanish meaning 'mountain range'), or connected to the Latin cera meaning 'wax.' With over 1,400 births in SSA records, Cera has established itself as a genuine American name.
Short and friendly, Cera has the clean, simple quality of a name that feels immediately natural — neither too unusual nor too common, sitting in that perfect sweet spot.
EtymologyShow more
Cera is built from 4 letters and two syllables — a compact structure that favors quick recognition and easy recall.
The interplay of consonants and vowels in Cera creates its characteristic open, warm quality. Two-syllable names are the most common length in American naming, hitting a natural speech rhythm that works across formal and informal contexts.
At a Glance
Popularity Over Time
Cera was #3839 twenty years ago and has since drifted to #11282, but its charm endures.
Popularity by Decade
| Decade | Births | Avg Rank | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 35 | #12743 | ▼ |
| 2010s | 150 | #8541 | ▼ |
| 2000s | 387 | #3900 | ▼ |
| 1990s | 681 | #2112 | ▲ |
| 1980s | 142 | #5930 | ▲ |
| 1970s | 7 | #8165 | — |
The Story of Cera
A Millennial name
Peaking in 1995, Cera is a Millennial-era classic. Girls named Cera are most likely born between 1985 and 2005.
How rare is Cera?
Only about 1 in every 450,000 babies born in 2024 was named Cera — a truly uncommon choice.
The journey through the decades
First appeared in the records in 1979, peaked in the 1990s with 681 births that decade, and has since become a rare, vintage choice.
Cera by the numbers
- Would fill 29 school buses
- Meeting one Cera per day would take 3.8 years
Year-by-Year Data
View complete yearly data(44 years, 1979–2024)
| Year | Births | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 8 | #11282 |
| 2023 | 7 | #12396 |
| 2022 | 5 | #15777 |
| 2021 | 6 | #13827 |
| 2020 | 9 | #10432 |
| 2019 | 5 | #16016 |
| 2018 | 11 | #9287 |
| 2017 | 12 | #8909 |
| 2016 | 15 | #7673 |
| 2015 | 10 | #10287 |
| 2014 | 17 | #7059 |
| 2013 | 15 | #7840 |
| 2012 | 21 | #6158 |
| 2011 | 18 | #6913 |
| 2010 | 26 | #5272 |
| 2009 | 30 | #4833 |
| 2008 | 32 | #4675 |
| 2007 | 28 | #5127 |
| 2006 | 40 | #3807 |
| 2005 | 32 | #4285 |
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cera a boy's or girl's name?
When was Cera most popular?
How popular is the name Cera?
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration, 1979–2024