Cearul: Meaning, Pronunciation and Origin
Cearul is an Irish boy's name meaning “sharp, cutting.” Here’s how to say it, where it comes from, and names that go well with it.
Updated September 2026
- Meaning
- Sharp, cutting
- Gender
- Boy
- English forms
- Carroll
How do you pronounce Cearul?
Cearul is pronounced KAR-ul. It has two syllables, with the stress on the first.
What does Cearul mean?
Cearul is a simplified spelling of Cearbhall, from the Old Irish Cerball, probably from cerb “sharp, cutting.” It was once a common Irish name and was borne by several medieval kings. The best known is Cerball mac Dúnlainge, King of Osraige (Ossory) from 842 to 888, said to have been the second most powerful king in Ireland in his later years. He appears in Icelandic sagas as Kjarvalr Írakonungr, an ancestor of many Icelandic families.
The surnames O’Carroll and Carroll come from Ó Cearbhaill, “descendant of Cearbhall.” Patrick Woulfe noted in 1923 that the first name was especially common among the O’Dalys and was often anglicized as Charles. Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh was President of Ireland from 1974 to 1976.
Sources: Behind the Name, Woulfe, Irish Names and Surnames (1923), Wikipedia.
How popular is Cearul in Ireland?
Cearul is rare in Ireland. Since 1964, fewer than three baby boys a year have been registered with the name, so it doesn't appear in the Central Statistics Office's baby name tables.
Source: Central Statistics Office, Irish Babies’ Names 2025 and its boys' names table.
Cearul in Ogham
Ogham is the oldest way of writing Irish. It was carved along the edges of standing stones, mostly between the 4th and 6th centuries, and read from the bottom up. In later tradition each letter was named after a tree or plant. Here’s Cearul, letter by letter.
- CColl, hazel
- EEadhadh, aspen
- AAilm, pine
- RRuis, elder
- UÚr, heather
- LLuis, rowan
Write any name in Ogham with our Ogham translator
Names that go with Cearul
Questions about Cearul
- How do you pronounce Cearul?
- Cearul is pronounced KAR-ul. Two syllables, stress on the first.
- What does Cearul mean?
- Cearul means “sharp, cutting.”
- Is Cearul a girl's name or a boy's name?
- Cearul is a boy's name.
- What is Cearul in English?
- The English form of Cearul is Carroll.
- Is Cearul a rare name?
- Yes. Fewer than three boys a year are registered as Cearul in Ireland, too few to appear in the Central Statistics Office's tables.