Cara
Girl · KAR-a · Irish
Big in ScotlandBig in Northern Ireland
Cara is a girls' name of Irish origin, meaning “friend”. In 2025 it ranked 311th for girls in the UK (155 babies) and 1,326th for girls in the US (168 babies).
What does Cara mean?
Irish: Irish word cara; also Italian cara, dear
“friend”
In Irish cara means friend, as in anam cara, soul friend, while in Italian it means dear.
- Say it
- KAR-a
More on Wiktionary.
Is Cara a girl's or a boy's name?
Cara is a girls' name. In 2025, it was given to 155 girls in the UK and 168 girls in the US. Too few boys were given it to be listed.
How popular is Cara in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #311among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 155about 1 in 1,800 girls
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 39% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 155 girls in the UK were named Cara, making it the 311th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 233rd. Its busiest year was 2001, with 579 girls.
2025 had the fewest girls named Cara since the records began in 1996.
Half of all the girls named Cara in the UK since 1996 were born between 2002 and 2014. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier girls aren't counted.
Among girls in 2025, it was 468th in England and Wales, 211th in Scotland and 25th in Northern Ireland.
Cara in the UK, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 155 | #311 |
| 2024 | 160 | #305 |
| 2023 | 180 | #276 |
| 2022 | 158 | #311 |
| 2021 | 212 | #251 |
| 2020 | 224 | #233 |
| 2019 | 279 | #199 |
| 2018 | 302 | #192 |
| 2017 | 334 | #180 |
| 2016 | 380 | #164 |
| 2015 | 376 | #162 |
| 2014 | 394 | #159 |
| 2013 | 387 | #152 |
| 2012 | 401 | #157 |
| 2011 | 455 | #138 |
| 2010 | 440 | #143 |
| 2009 | 483 | #126 |
| 2008 | 501 | #120 |
| 2007 | 545 | #112 |
| 2006 | 482 | #126 |
| 2005 | 461 | #130 |
| 2004 | 523 | #113 |
| 2003 | 511 | #111 |
| 2002 | 440 | #124 |
| 2001 | 579 | #100 |
| 2000 | 486 | #116 |
| 1999 | 430 | #128 |
| 1998 | 443 | #122 |
| 1997 | 417 | #135 |
| 1996 | 372 | #135 |
How popular is Cara in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #1,326among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 168about 1 in 9,600 girls
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 38% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 168 girls in the US were named Cara, making it the 1,326th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 907th. Its busiest year was 1985, with 1,465 girls. It first appears in the records in 1882.
It has been given to fewer girls each year for the last 5 years. 2025 had fewer girls named Cara than any year since 1958.
Half of all the girls named Cara in the US since 1880 were born between 1975 and 1997, the years shaded on the chart below.
Cara in the US, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 168 | #1,326 |
| 2024 | 178 | #1,296 |
| 2023 | 182 | #1,264 |
| 2022 | 208 | #1,163 |
| 2021 | 248 | #1,024 |
| 2020 | 289 | #907 |
| 2019 | 252 | #1,020 |
| 2018 | 310 | #874 |
| 2017 | 318 | #860 |
| 2016 | 352 | #808 |
| 2015 | 389 | #728 |
| 2014 | 421 | #675 |
| 2013 | 451 | #620 |
| 2012 | 404 | #695 |
| 2011 | 473 | #609 |
| 2010 | 460 | #642 |
| 2009 | 663 | #468 |
| 2008 | 681 | #464 |
| 2007 | 579 | #539 |
| 2006 | 531 | #554 |
| 2005 | 522 | #550 |
| 2004 | 570 | #508 |
| 2003 | 568 | #503 |
| 2002 | 584 | #481 |
| 2001 | 604 | #458 |
| 2000 | 732 | #393 |
| 1999 | 728 | #386 |
| 1998 | 807 | #359 |
| 1997 | 819 | #343 |
| 1996 | 862 | #324 |
| 1995 | 900 | #308 |
| 1994 | 1,026 | #273 |
| 1993 | 1,106 | #251 |
| 1992 | 1,125 | #248 |
| 1991 | 1,259 | #228 |
| 1990 | 1,212 | #234 |
| 1989 | 1,275 | #211 |
| 1988 | 1,268 | #207 |
| 1987 | 1,232 | #213 |
| 1986 | 1,338 | #194 |
| 1985 | 1,465 | #184 |
| 1984 | 1,440 | #191 |
| 1983 | 1,394 | #191 |
| 1982 | 1,328 | #204 |
| 1981 | 1,261 | #209 |
| 1980 | 1,276 | #203 |
| 1979 | 1,247 | #211 |
| 1978 | 1,346 | #191 |
| 1977 | 1,411 | #189 |
| 1976 | 1,103 | #219 |
| 1975 | 1,192 | #207 |
| 1974 | 1,074 | #235 |
| 1973 | 847 | #286 |
| 1972 | 722 | #324 |
| 1971 | 755 | #337 |
| 1970 | 716 | #351 |
| 1969 | 636 | #367 |
| 1968 | 508 | #414 |
| 1967 | 604 | #365 |
| 1966 | 677 | #347 |
| 1965 | 987 | #274 |
| 1964 | 663 | #366 |
| 1963 | 682 | #368 |
| 1962 | 448 | #455 |
| 1961 | 340 | #531 |
| 1960 | 234 | #663 |
| 1959 | 200 | #706 |
| 1958 | 134 | #877 |
| 1957 | 165 | #781 |
| 1956 | 172 | #735 |
| 1955 | 154 | #772 |
| 1954 | 124 | #846 |
| 1953 | 101 | #939 |
| 1952 | 87 | #1,007 |
| 1951 | 84 | #1,013 |
| 1950 | 70 | #1,098 |
| 1949 | 72 | #1,055 |
| 1948 | 51 | #1,284 |
| 1947 | 53 | #1,237 |
| 1946 | 47 | #1,256 |
| 1945 | 46 | #1,154 |
| 1944 | 41 | #1,235 |
| 1943 | 54 | #1,086 |
| 1942 | 48 | #1,137 |
| 1941 | 44 | #1,117 |
| 1940 | 36 | #1,218 |
| 1939 | 26 | #1,474 |
| 1938 | 38 | #1,182 |
| 1937 | 45 | #1,063 |
| 1936 | 39 | #1,135 |
| 1935 | 27 | #1,418 |
| 1934 | 37 | #1,166 |
| 1933 | 22 | #1,606 |
| 1932 | 28 | #1,421 |
| 1931 | 15 | #2,104 |
| 1930 | 28 | #1,460 |
| 1929 | 30 | #1,392 |
| 1928 | 20 | #1,896 |
| 1927 | 25 | #1,668 |
| 1926 | 43 | #1,166 |
| 1925 | 27 | #1,608 |
| 1924 | 30 | #1,533 |
| 1923 | 33 | #1,388 |
| 1922 | 34 | #1,366 |
| 1921 | 21 | #1,927 |
| 1920 | 18 | #2,079 |
| 1919 | 19 | #1,921 |
| 1918 | 33 | #1,333 |
| 1917 | 23 | #1,605 |
| 1916 | 27 | #1,408 |
| 1915 | 30 | #1,285 |
| 1914 | 19 | #1,480 |
| 1913 | 21 | #1,229 |
| 1912 | 16 | #1,352 |
| 1911 | 12 | #1,372 |
| 1910 | 19 | #997 |
| 1909 | 12 | #1,219 |
| 1908 | 12 | #1,203 |
| 1907 | 16 | #945 |
| 1906 | 11 | #1,154 |
| 1905 | 7 | #1,537 |
| 1904 | 11 | #1,092 |
| 1903 | 9 | #1,204 |
| 1902 | 11 | #1,075 |
| 1901 | 7 | #1,339 |
| 1900 | 17 | #917 |
| 1899 | 11 | #983 |
| 1898 | 16 | #840 |
| 1897 | 11 | #982 |
| 1896 | 8 | #1,213 |
| 1895 | 12 | #932 |
| 1894 | 8 | #1,136 |
| 1893 | 0 | – |
| 1892 | 7 | #1,171 |
| 1891 | 11 | #839 |
| 1890 | 7 | #1,099 |
| 1889 | 7 | #1,024 |
| 1888 | 9 | #894 |
| 1887 | 10 | #733 |
| 1886 | 6 | #993 |
| 1885 | 12 | #629 |
| 1884 | 8 | #793 |
| 1883 | 6 | #817 |
| 1882 | 5 | #908 |
Names like Cara
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Erin Keira Jessica Molly Francesca Lara Tara Amber Holly Jasmine Brianna Ffion
Names related to Cara
Ciara Chiara Cari Caira Ceara Chara Ciarah Ciarra Carra Carah
More Irish names
Oscar Rowan Rory Maeve Finn Aiden Ryan Nolan Quinn Orla Cody Ronan Connor Declan Casey Kennedy