[Angry Hill Troll]

In Unfinished Tales, there is a slightly different version of Cirdán giving Narya to Gandalf. Cirdán says "It was entrusted to me only to keep secret, and here upon the West-shores it is idle..." So I don't really think that Cirdán was ever intended to be the user of the Red ring, but Celebrimbor, knowing that Sauron would attack him to try to obtain the Three Rings, sent the Ring to Cirdán to keep it out of Sauron's hands.

Here's what I think Celebrimbor originally intended to happen when he made the three Rings.

-Vilya goes to Gil-Galad. He is the high king of the Noldor, and Vilya is the most powerful ring. Also, "blue" and "air" are associated with Manwë and the Vanyar. Gil-Galad is in the direct line of succession from Fingolfin, who's mother is Vanya.

-Nenya goes to Galadriel. She is of the House of Finarfin; her mother is Teleri. "Water" is associated with the Teleri and Ulmo.

-Narya was intended to be kept by Celebrimbor himself. "Fire" was associated with Aulë and the Noldor. Celbrimbor was the grandson of Fëanor "spirit of fire" and the Fëanoreans were the only purely Noldorin descendents of Finwë.

After Eregion was attacked and Celebrimbor slain by Sauron, there was no one left of the House of Fëanor (as far as we know) to use it. So Círdan just kept it without ever using it, until Gandalf showed up.

Among the Istari, Saruman was chosen by Aulë, and Gandalf, by Manwë. So, Saruman probably reasoned to himself, if Narya was in need of someone to put it to good use, it should be him!