Cara

#1,326 for girls in 2025, 168 births · Last seen for boys in 1992 at #8,435
Given to girls 99.9% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · girls
1985 · 1,465 births
Debut · girls
5 births
In top 100 · girls
never
of 146 years
Total births · girls
53,305
since 1882

Cara over time

girls

Rank among girls' names. Cara has never cracked the top 100 here.

#1#10#100#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201950peak #184, 1985girls
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025#1,326168—
2024#1,296178—
2023#1,264182—
2022#1,163208—
2021#1,024248—
2020#907289—
2019#1,020252—
2018#874310—
2017#860318—
2016#808352—
2015#728389—
2014#675421—
2013#620451—
2012#695404—
2011#609473—
2010#642460—
2009#468663—
2008#464681—
2007#539579—
2006#554531—
2005#550522—
2004#508570—
2003#503568—
2002#481584—
2001#458604—
2000#393732—
1999#386728—
1998#359807—
1997#343819—
1996#324862—
1995#308900—
1994#2731,026—
1993#2511,106—
1992#2481,125#8,4355
1991#2281,259—
1990#2341,212—
1989#2111,275#5,1659
1988#2071,268#7,2705
1987#2131,232#4,9688
1986#1941,338—
1985#1841,465#5,1477
1984#1911,440—
1983#1911,394—
1982#2041,328#5,6196
1981#2091,261#6,2625
1980#2031,276—
1979#2111,247#4,8427
1978#1911,346—
1977#1891,411#5,8455
1976#2191,103#5,5875
1975#2071,192—
1974#2351,074—
1973#286847—
1972#324722—
1971#337755—
1970#351716—
1969#367636—
1968#414508—
1967#365604—
1966#347677—
1965#274987—
1964#366663—
1963#368682—
1962#455448—
1961#531340—
1960#663234—
1959#706200—
1958#878134—
1957#782165—
1956#736172—
1955#773154—
1954#847124—
1953#940101—
1952#1,00887—
1951#1,01484—
1950#1,09970—
1949#1,05672—
1948#1,28551—
1947#1,23853—
1946#1,25747—
1945#1,15546—
1944#1,23641—
1943#1,08754—
1942#1,13748—
1941#1,11744—
1940#1,21836—
1939#1,47426—
1938#1,18238—
1937#1,06345—
1936#1,13539—
1935#1,41827—
1934#1,16637—
1933#1,60622—
1932#1,42128—
1931#2,10515—
1930#1,46028—
1929#1,39330—
1928#1,89720—
1927#1,66925—
1926#1,16643—
1925#1,60927—
1924#1,53330—
1923#1,38833—
1922#1,36634—
1921#1,92721—
1920#2,07918—
1919#1,92119—
1918#1,33333—
1917#1,60523—
1916#1,40827—
1915#1,28530—
1914#1,48019—
1913#1,22921—
1912#1,35216—
1911#1,37212—
1910#99719—
1909#1,21912—
1908#1,20312—
1907#94516—
1906#1,15411—
1905#1,5387—
1904#1,09211—
1903#1,2049—
1902#1,07511—
1901#1,3397—
1900#91717—
1899#98311—
1898#84016—
1897#98211—
1896#1,2138—
1895#93212—
1894#1,1368—
1893——
1892#1,1717—
1891#83911—
1890#1,0997—
1889#1,0257—
1888#8949—
1887#73310—
1886#9936—
1885#62912—
1884#7938—
1883#8176—
1882#9085—
1881——
1880——
First appearance
1882

The first year at least five girls were named Cara! It came in at #908, and was given to 5 baby girls.


Quietest stretch: 1893, when fewer than 5 girls a year got the name.

Where Cara is popular in 1950

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedAKMaine: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedNHWashington: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedWAIdaho: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedIDMontana: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedNDMinnesota: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedMNIllinois: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedILWisconsin: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedWIMichigan: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedMINew York: #753 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 15,869 girlsNYMassachusetts: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedMARhode Island: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedRIOregon: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedORNevada: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedSDIowa: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedIAIndiana: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedINOhio: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedOHPennsylvania: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedPANew Jersey: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedCTCalifornia: #989 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 18,923 girlsCAUtah: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedUTColorado: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedCONebraska: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedNEMissouri: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedMOKentucky: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedKYWest Virginia: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedWVVirginia: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedVAMaryland: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedMDDelaware: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedDEArizona: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedNMKansas: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedKSArkansas: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedARTennessee: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedTNNorth Carolina: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedNCSouth Carolina: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedDCOklahoma: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedOKLouisiana: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedLAMississippi: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedMSAlabama: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedALGeorgia: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedGAHawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedHITexas: #966 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 15,950 girlsTXFlorida: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. New York#753 · 1 in 15,869
  2. Texas#966 · 1 in 15,950
  3. California#989 · 1 in 18,923

Best ever in a state: #79 in New Hampshire, 1977.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
New York#75391 in 15,869
Texas#96661 in 15,950
California#98961 in 18,923
Alabama———
Alaska———
Arizona———
Arkansas———
Colorado———
Connecticut———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Florida———
Georgia———
Hawaii———
Idaho———
Illinois———
Indiana———
Iowa———
Kansas———
Kentucky———
Louisiana———
Maine———
Maryland———
Massachusetts———
Michigan———
Minnesota———
Mississippi———
Missouri———
Montana———
Nebraska———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
New Jersey———
New Mexico———
North Carolina———
North Dakota———
Ohio———
Oklahoma———
Oregon———
Pennsylvania———
Rhode Island———
South Carolina———
South Dakota———
Tennessee———
Utah———
Vermont———
Virginia———
Washington———
West Virginia———
Wisconsin———
Wyoming———

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the girls born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Cara
Momentum · girls
Falling
  • 30 spots since 2024 (#1,296 → #1,326)
  • 419 spots since 2020 (#907 → #1,326)
  • 598 spots since 2015 (#728 → #1,326)
  • Biggest jump: 260 spots in 1887 (#993 → #733)
  • Biggest drop: 422 spots in 1901 (#917 → #1,339)
Rise & fade · girls
103 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1882
  • Peaked 1985 at #184 (1,465 births)
  • Births halved by 1999, 14 yrs later
Top of the charts · girls
Top 1,000 for 82 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: never
  • Top 1,000: 82 yrs · run 1953–2018
Share of babies · girls
1 in 1,087
  • Highest: 1 in 1,087 girls born in 1977 were named Cara (0.09%)
  • Latest: 1 in 9,567 girls born in 2025 (0.01%)
  • Its best rank, #184 in 1985, was only 1 in 1,175 (0.09%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
Era · girls
The 1980s
  • 24.9% of all girls named Cara (13,277) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s63#629 (1885)#849
1890s91#839 (1891)#1,022
1900s113#917 (1900)#1,169
1910s219#997 (1910)#1,398
1920s281#1,166 (1926)#1,603
1930s305#1,063 (1937)#1,403
1940s492#1,056 (1949)#1,179
1950s1,291#706 (1959)#878
1960s5,779#274 (1965)#415
1970s10,413#189 (1977)#255
1980s13,277#184 (1985)#201
1990s9,844#228 (1991)#295
2000s6,034#393 (2000)#492
2010s3,830#609 (2011)#753
2020s1,273#907 (2020)#1,163

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 girls in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Cara in 1950

girls
#1,099
70 births · 1 in 24,472 girls

Top girls' names in 1950

  1. #1Linda80,433
  2. #2Mary65,481
  3. #3Patricia47,944
  4. #4Barbara41,556
  5. #5Susan38,017
  6. #6Nancy29,617
  7. #7Deborah29,063
  8. #8Sandra28,896
  9. #9Carol26,163
  10. #10Kathleen25,706
  11. #1,099Cara70
More about 1950

girls

1,713,054 girls got a published name in 1950; 1 in 24,472 of them was named Cara, which outranked 82.0% of the 6,109 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 24.1% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Cara
  1. #1,090Leonora71
  2. #1,090Ricki71
  3. #1,090Stacy71
  4. #1,099Cara70
  5. #1,099Bernita70
  6. #1,099Bettina70
  7. #1,099Cherrie70
  8. #1,109Elda69
  9. #1,109Kathey69
  10. #1,109Sharla69

Tied with 9 names at #1,099; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1949
Risers
  1. ↑ 1,242Mindy#2,013 → #771
  2. ↑ 649Geralyn#1,627 → #978
  3. ↑ 636Kyle#1,512 → #876
  4. ↑ 416Debrah#1,109 → #693
  5. ↑ 405Debbra#1,353 → #948
Fallers
  1. ↓ 241Luana#823 → #1,064
  2. ↓ 231Christene#930 → #1,161
  3. ↓ 216Pearline#785 → #1,001
  4. ↓ 210Ingrid#518 → #728
  5. ↓ 201Dayle#982 → #1,183

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1950 →