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#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020202006peak #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 2006

  • 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: #537 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 2,985 girlsMNIllinois: #600 for girls · 20 births · 1 in 3,407 girlsILWisconsin: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedWIMichigan: #548 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 3,146 girlsMINew York: #626 for girls · 27 births · 1 in 3,575 girlsNYMassachusetts: #395 for girls · 14 births · 1 in 2,031 girlsMARhode 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: #473 for girls · 14 births · 1 in 2,363 girlsINOhio: #378 for girls · 28 births · 1 in 2,047 girlsOHPennsylvania: #315 for girls · 34 births · 1 in 1,628 girlsPANew Jersey: #330 for girls · 24 births · 1 in 1,696 girlsNJConnecticut: #443 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 2,292 girlsCTCalifornia: #764 for girls · 50 births · 1 in 4,695 girlsCAUtah: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedUTColorado: #710 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 3,618 girlsCONebraska: #346 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 1,403 girlsNEMissouri: #443 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 2,284 girlsMOKentucky: #384 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 1,846 girlsKYWest Virginia: #218 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 877 girlsWVVirginia: #480 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 2,524 girlsVAMaryland: #373 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 1,676 girlsMDDelaware: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedDEArizona: #639 for girls · 12 births · 1 in 3,191 girlsAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedNMKansas: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedKSArkansas: #548 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 2,497 girlsARTennessee: #382 for girls · 17 births · 1 in 1,870 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #745 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 4,281 girlsNCSouth Carolina: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedSCDistrict of Columbia: #185 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 549 girlsDCOklahoma: #391 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 1,750 girlsOKLouisiana: #280 for girls · 16 births · 1 in 1,250 girlsLAMississippi: #447 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 1,786 girlsMSAlabama: #497 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 2,264 girlsALGeorgia: #637 for girls · 16 births · 1 in 3,365 girlsGAHawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedHITexas: #683 for girls · 42 births · 1 in 3,957 girlsTXFlorida: #588 for girls · 27 births · 1 in 3,301 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. District of Columbia#185 · 1 in 549
  2. West Virginia#218 · 1 in 877
  3. Louisiana#280 · 1 in 1,250
  4. Pennsylvania#315 · 1 in 1,628
  5. New Jersey#330 · 1 in 1,696

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
District of Columbia#18561 in 549
West Virginia#21881 in 877
Louisiana#280161 in 1,250
Pennsylvania#315341 in 1,628
New Jersey#330241 in 1,696
Nebraska#34661 in 1,403
Maryland#373151 in 1,676
Ohio#378281 in 2,047
Tennessee#382171 in 1,870
Kentucky#384111 in 1,846
Oklahoma#391101 in 1,750
Massachusetts#395141 in 2,031
Connecticut#44361 in 2,292
Missouri#443131 in 2,284
Mississippi#44771 in 1,786
Indiana#473141 in 2,363
Virginia#480151 in 2,524
Alabama#49791 in 2,264
Minnesota#53791 in 2,985
Arkansas#54851 in 2,497
Michigan#548151 in 3,146
Florida#588271 in 3,301
Illinois#600201 in 3,407
New York#626271 in 3,575
Georgia#637161 in 3,365
Arizona#639121 in 3,191
Texas#683421 in 3,957
Colorado#71071 in 3,618
North Carolina#745111 in 4,281
California#764501 in 4,695
Alaska———
Delaware———
Hawaii———
Idaho———
Iowa———
Kansas———
Maine———
Montana———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
New Mexico———
North Dakota———
Oregon———
Rhode Island———
South Carolina———
South Dakota———
Utah———
Vermont———
Washington———
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 2006

girls
#554
531 births · 1 in 3,580 girls

Top girls' names in 2006

  1. #1Emily21,412
  2. #2Emma19,133
  3. #3Madison18,635
  4. #4Isabella18,231
  5. #5Ava16,941
  6. #6Abigail15,633
  7. #7Olivia15,508
  8. #8Hannah14,556
  9. #9Sophia13,503
  10. #10Samantha12,470
  11. #554Cara531
More about 2006

girls

1,901,209 girls got a published name in 2006; 1 in 3,580 of them was named Cara, which outranked 97.2% of the 20,064 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 8.7% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Cara
  1. #550Precious534
  2. #552Carley533
  3. #552Tiara533
  4. #554Cara531
  5. #554Kenzie531
  6. #554Zoie531
  7. #557Dayana529
  8. #557Jessie529
  9. #559Destinee528

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

Biggest movers since 2005
Risers
  1. ↑ 8,571Bethzy#9,452 → #881
  2. ↑ 1,747Rihanna#2,278 → #531
  3. ↑ 965Yaretzi#1,803 → #838
  4. ↑ 921Betsy#1,668 → #747
  5. ↑ 612Evangeline#1,210 → #598
Fallers
  1. ↓ 2,134Mikalah#806 → #2,940
  2. ↓ 1,275Jolette#954 → #2,229
  3. ↓ 756Karol#818 → #1,574
  4. ↓ 446Litzy#388 → #834
  5. ↓ 305Devon#963 → #1,268

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

See the top 100 for 2006 →