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#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201970peak #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 1970

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: #139 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 445 girlsAKMaine: 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: #374 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 2,462 girlsWAIdaho: 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: #235 for girls · 20 births · 1 in 1,479 girlsMNIllinois: #309 for girls · 46 births · 1 in 1,907 girlsILWisconsin: #286 for girls · 16 births · 1 in 2,105 girlsWIMichigan: #356 for girls · 27 births · 1 in 2,744 girlsMINew York: #325 for girls · 71 births · 1 in 1,992 girlsNYMassachusetts: #207 for girls · 34 births · 1 in 1,243 girlsMARhode Island: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedRIOregon: #259 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 1,306 girlsORNevada: 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: #310 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 2,321 girlsIAIndiana: #253 for girls · 30 births · 1 in 1,436 girlsINOhio: #357 for girls · 31 births · 1 in 2,876 girlsOHPennsylvania: #316 for girls · 42 births · 1 in 2,046 girlsPANew Jersey: #262 for girls · 34 births · 1 in 1,477 girlsNJConnecticut: #251 for girls · 14 births · 1 in 1,484 girlsCTCalifornia: #392 for girls · 70 births · 1 in 2,343 girlsCAUtah: #267 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 1,314 girlsUTColorado: #307 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 1,565 girlsCONebraska: #280 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 1,737 girlsNEMissouri: #284 for girls · 21 births · 1 in 1,689 girlsMOKentucky: #435 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 3,712 girlsKYWest Virginia: #328 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 2,561 girlsWVVirginia: #498 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 4,914 girlsVAMaryland: #372 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 2,802 girlsMDDelaware: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedDEArizona: #438 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 2,491 girlsAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedNMKansas: #296 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 1,639 girlsKSArkansas: #270 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 1,514 girlsARTennessee: #374 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 2,863 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #484 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 4,654 girlsNCSouth Carolina: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedSCDistrict of Columbia: #343 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 1,995 girlsDCOklahoma: #311 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 1,761 girlsOKLouisiana: #514 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 3,801 girlsLAMississippi: #521 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 3,758 girlsMSAlabama: #477 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 3,872 girlsALGeorgia: #607 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 5,773 girlsGAHawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedHITexas: #460 for girls · 35 births · 1 in 2,977 girlsTXFlorida: #483 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 3,662 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Alaska#139 · 1 in 445
  2. Massachusetts#207 · 1 in 1,243
  3. Minnesota#235 · 1 in 1,479
  4. Connecticut#251 · 1 in 1,484
  5. Indiana#253 · 1 in 1,436

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Alaska#13961 in 445
Massachusetts#207341 in 1,243
Minnesota#235201 in 1,479
Connecticut#251141 in 1,484
Indiana#253301 in 1,436
Oregon#259111 in 1,306
New Jersey#262341 in 1,477
Utah#26781 in 1,314
Arkansas#27091 in 1,514
Nebraska#28061 in 1,737
Missouri#284211 in 1,689
Wisconsin#286161 in 2,105
Kansas#29691 in 1,639
Colorado#307111 in 1,565
Illinois#309461 in 1,907
Iowa#31091 in 2,321
Oklahoma#311101 in 1,761
Pennsylvania#316421 in 2,046
New York#325711 in 1,992
West Virginia#32851 in 2,561
District of Columbia#34351 in 1,995
Michigan#356271 in 2,744
Ohio#357311 in 2,876
Maryland#37291 in 2,802
Tennessee#374111 in 2,863
Washington#374101 in 2,462
California#392701 in 2,343
Kentucky#43571 in 3,712
Arizona#43861 in 2,491
Texas#460351 in 2,977
Alabama#47771 in 3,872
Florida#483131 in 3,662
North Carolina#48491 in 4,654
Virginia#49871 in 4,914
Louisiana#51481 in 3,801
Mississippi#52151 in 3,758
Georgia#60771 in 5,773
Delaware———
Hawaii———
Idaho———
Maine———
Montana———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
New Mexico———
North Dakota———
Rhode Island———
South Carolina———
South Dakota———
Vermont———
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 1970

girls
#351
716 births · 1 in 2,442 girls

Top girls' names in 1970

  1. #1Jennifer46,150
  2. #2Lisa38,967
  3. #3Kimberly34,130
  4. #4Michelle34,047
  5. #5Amy25,212
  6. #6Angela24,929
  7. #7Melissa23,735
  8. #8Tammy19,587
  9. #9Mary19,204
  10. #10Tracy18,464
  11. #351Cara716
More about 1970

girls

1,748,144 girls got a published name in 1970; 1 in 2,442 of them was named Cara, which outranked 96.2% of the 9,355 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 16.3% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Cara
  1. #348Esther726
  2. #349Arlene718
  3. #350Natasha717
  4. #351Cara716
  5. #352Jeannette714
  6. #353Doreen706
  7. #353Mindy706
Biggest movers since 1969
Risers
  1. ↑ 1,541Tanisha#2,515 → #974
  2. ↑ 1,194India#1,955 → #761
  3. ↑ 695Shay#1,648 → #953
  4. ↑ 685Terra#1,303 → #618
  5. ↑ 669Dyan#1,648 → #979
Fallers
  1. ↓ 385Cinnamon#698 → #1,083
  2. ↓ 306Kaye#932 → #1,238
  3. ↓ 303Luanne#990 → #1,293
  4. ↓ 273Laureen#845 → #1,118
  5. ↓ 273Lesia#965 → #1,238

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

See the top 100 for 1970 →