Cara
Cara: name meaning, origin and popularity
Meaning and origin of Cara
Root meaning: “dear”
- A female given name originating as a coinage.
Etymology
20th-century English coinage from Italian cara (“dear”) or Irish cara (“friend”).
How popular is Cara?
Since 1880, 53,305 girls and 62 boys in the U.S. have been named Cara (100% girls). Its highest rank for girls was #184 in 1985. Its highest rank for boys was #4912 in 1979. In 2025, 168 babies were given the name, outside the top 1,000.
Names similar to Cara
Names that start with the same letters, most popular first.
Sibling name ideas for Cara
Names that peaked around the same time as Cara and are still in the U.S. top 1,000.
Cara FAQ
What does the name Cara mean?
Cara traces back to a root meaning "dear". A female given name originating as a coinage. 20th-century English coinage from Italian cara (“dear”) or Irish cara (“friend”).
How popular is the name Cara?
Since 1880, 53,305 girls and 62 boys in the U.S. have been named Cara (100% girls). Its highest rank for girls was #184 in 1985. Its highest rank for boys was #4912 in 1979. In 2025, 168 babies were given the name, outside the top 1,000.
Is Cara a boy or girl name?
Cara is mostly a girl name in the U.S.: 53,305 girls and 62 boys since 1880.
Popularity data: U.S. Social Security Administration baby name data, 1880–2025 (names given to 5+ babies per year). Origin and etymology text: Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.