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#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020202002peak #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 2002

  • 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: #687 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 4,059 girlsWAIdaho: #282 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 1,036 girlsIDMontana: 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: #377 for girls · 34 births · 1 in 2,020 girlsILWisconsin: #709 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 4,973 girlsWIMichigan: #377 for girls · 23 births · 1 in 2,121 girlsMINew York: #465 for girls · 36 births · 1 in 2,691 girlsNYMassachusetts: #295 for girls · 19 births · 1 in 1,615 girlsMARhode Island: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedRIOregon: #426 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 2,003 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: #343 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 1,687 girlsIAIndiana: #423 for girls · 14 births · 1 in 2,306 girlsINOhio: #299 for girls · 36 births · 1 in 1,617 girlsOHPennsylvania: #315 for girls · 32 births · 1 in 1,727 girlsPANew Jersey: #218 for girls · 37 births · 1 in 1,114 girlsNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedCTCalifornia: #759 for girls · 44 births · 1 in 5,062 girlsCAUtah: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedUTColorado: #497 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 2,484 girlsCONebraska: #332 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 1,383 girlsNEMissouri: #480 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 2,791 girlsMOKentucky: #464 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 2,754 girlsKYWest Virginia: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedWVVirginia: #327 for girls · 22 births · 1 in 1,621 girlsVAMaryland: #323 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 1,584 girlsMDDelaware: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedDEArizona: #588 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 2,951 girlsAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedNMKansas: #537 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 2,690 girlsKSArkansas: #425 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 1,971 girlsARTennessee: #283 for girls · 22 births · 1 in 1,365 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #468 for girls · 17 births · 1 in 2,555 girlsNCSouth Carolina: #521 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 2,751 girlsSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedDCOklahoma: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedOKLouisiana: #626 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 3,420 girlsLAMississippi: #295 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 1,257 girlsMSAlabama: #571 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 3,250 girlsALGeorgia: #522 for girls · 17 births · 1 in 2,847 girlsGAHawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedHITexas: #605 for girls · 44 births · 1 in 3,544 girlsTXFlorida: #574 for girls · 22 births · 1 in 3,501 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. New Jersey#218 · 1 in 1,114
  2. Idaho#282 · 1 in 1,036
  3. Tennessee#283 · 1 in 1,365
  4. Mississippi#295 · 1 in 1,257
  5. Massachusetts#295 · 1 in 1,615

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
New Jersey#218371 in 1,114
Idaho#28261 in 1,036
Tennessee#283221 in 1,365
Massachusetts#295191 in 1,615
Mississippi#29591 in 1,257
Ohio#299361 in 1,617
Pennsylvania#315321 in 1,727
Maryland#323151 in 1,584
Virginia#327221 in 1,621
Nebraska#33261 in 1,383
Iowa#34381 in 1,687
Illinois#377341 in 2,020
Michigan#377231 in 2,121
Indiana#423141 in 2,306
Arkansas#42561 in 1,971
Oregon#42681 in 2,003
Kentucky#46471 in 2,754
New York#465361 in 2,691
North Carolina#468171 in 2,555
Missouri#480101 in 2,791
Colorado#497101 in 2,484
South Carolina#52161 in 2,751
Georgia#522171 in 2,847
Kansas#53751 in 2,690
Alabama#57161 in 3,250
Florida#574221 in 3,501
Arizona#588111 in 2,951
Texas#605441 in 3,544
Louisiana#62661 in 3,420
Washington#68771 in 4,059
Wisconsin#70951 in 4,973
California#759441 in 5,062
Alaska———
Connecticut———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Hawaii———
Maine———
Minnesota———
Montana———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
New Mexico———
North Dakota———
Oklahoma———
Rhode Island———
South Dakota———
Utah———
Vermont———
West Virginia———
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 2002

girls
#481
584 births · 1 in 3,077 girls

Top girls' names in 2002

  1. #1Emily24,470
  2. #2Madison21,774
  3. #3Hannah18,828
  4. #4Emma16,558
  5. #5Alexis15,636
  6. #6Ashley15,344
  7. #7Abigail15,303
  8. #8Sarah14,779
  9. #9Samantha14,671
  10. #10Olivia14,631
  11. #481Cara584
More about 2002

girls

1,796,882 girls got a published name in 2002; 1 in 3,077 of them was named Cara, which outranked 97.3% of the 18,086 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 9.6% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Cara
  1. #478Kaylin587
  2. #479Kiersten586
  3. #480Janelle585
  4. #481Cara584
  5. #481Kiera584
  6. #481Liberty584
  7. #484Abbigail578
  8. #484Anya578
  9. #484Tamia578

Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 2001
Risers
  1. ↑ 1,168Cadence#2,126 → #958
  2. ↑ 949Lisbeth#1,573 → #624
  3. ↑ 710Ashanti#825 → #115
  4. ↑ 464Elle#1,076 → #612
  5. ↑ 412Nyla#865 → #453
Fallers
  1. ↓ 1,141Citlalli#609 → #1,750
  2. ↓ 748Nallely#772 → #1,520
  3. ↓ 617Dafne#967 → #1,584
  4. ↓ 582Beyonce#700 → #1,282
  5. ↓ 540Mikaila#928 → #1,468

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

See the top 100 for 2002 →