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#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020202015peak #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 2015

  • 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: #698 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 3,483 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: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedMNIllinois: #803 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 4,502 girlsILWisconsin: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedWIMichigan: #1,107 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 7,031 girlsMINew York: #499 for girls · 37 births · 1 in 2,468 girlsNYMassachusetts: #568 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 2,809 girlsMARhode Island: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedRIOregon: #670 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 3,046 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: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedIAIndiana: #474 for girls · 14 births · 1 in 2,188 girlsINOhio: #537 for girls · 19 births · 1 in 2,778 girlsOHPennsylvania: #376 for girls · 30 births · 1 in 1,760 girlsPANew Jersey: #500 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 2,477 girlsNJConnecticut: #446 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 2,005 girlsCTCalifornia: #887 for girls · 38 births · 1 in 5,404 girlsCAUtah: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedUTColorado: #878 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 4,679 girlsCONebraska: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedNEMissouri: #947 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 5,439 girlsMOKentucky: #720 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 3,713 girlsKYWest Virginia: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedWVVirginia: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedVAMaryland: #453 for girls · 12 births · 1 in 2,008 girlsMDDelaware: 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: #360 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 1,447 girlsKSArkansas: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedARTennessee: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedTNNorth Carolina: #600 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 3,027 girlsNCSouth 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: #585 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 2,661 girlsLAMississippi: #562 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 2,246 girlsMSAlabama: #803 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 3,935 girlsALGeorgia: #891 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 4,869 girlsGAHawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedHITexas: #874 for girls · 33 births · 1 in 5,142 girlsTXFlorida: #799 for girls · 19 births · 1 in 4,525 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Kansas#360 · 1 in 1,447
  2. Pennsylvania#376 · 1 in 1,760
  3. Connecticut#446 · 1 in 2,005
  4. Maryland#453 · 1 in 2,008
  5. Indiana#474 · 1 in 2,188

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Kansas#36091 in 1,447
Pennsylvania#376301 in 1,760
Connecticut#44661 in 2,005
Maryland#453121 in 2,008
Indiana#474141 in 2,188
New York#499371 in 2,468
New Jersey#500151 in 2,477
Ohio#537191 in 2,778
Mississippi#56251 in 2,246
Massachusetts#56891 in 2,809
Louisiana#58581 in 2,661
North Carolina#600151 in 3,027
Oregon#67051 in 3,046
Washington#69891 in 3,483
Kentucky#72051 in 3,713
Florida#799191 in 4,525
Alabama#80351 in 3,935
Illinois#803131 in 4,502
Texas#874331 in 5,142
Colorado#87851 in 4,679
California#887381 in 5,404
Georgia#891101 in 4,869
Missouri#94751 in 5,439
Michigan#1,10761 in 7,031
Alaska———
Arizona———
Arkansas———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Hawaii———
Idaho———
Iowa———
Maine———
Minnesota———
Montana———
Nebraska———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
New Mexico———
North Dakota———
Oklahoma———
Rhode Island———
South Carolina———
South Dakota———
Tennessee———
Utah———
Vermont———
Virginia———
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 2015

girls
#728
389 births · 1 in 4,589 girls

Top girls' names in 2015

  1. #1Emma20,487
  2. #2Olivia19,729
  3. #3Sophia17,454
  4. #4Ava16,416
  5. #5Isabella15,667
  6. #6Mia14,943
  7. #7Abigail12,422
  8. #8Emily11,808
  9. #9Charlotte11,415
  10. #10Harper10,311
  11. #728Cara389
More about 2015

girls

1,785,098 girls got a published name in 2015; 1 in 4,589 of them was named Cara, which outranked 96.2% of the 19,130 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 8.4% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Cara
  1. #725Erika391
  2. #725Malaya391
  3. #727Addilynn390
  4. #728Cara389
  5. #728Alaya389
  6. #728Amani389
  7. #728Clare389
  8. #732Corinne388
  9. #733Aliana385
  10. #734Jolene384

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

Biggest movers since 2014
Risers
  1. ↑ 1,984Alaia#2,648 → #664
  2. ↑ 1,835Meilani#2,781 → #946
  3. ↑ 1,733Aitana#2,648 → #915
  4. ↑ 1,387Aislinn#2,351 → #964
  5. ↑ 1,072Taya#2,049 → #977
Fallers
  1. ↓ 1,075Isis#703 → #1,778
  2. ↓ 502Annabell#923 → #1,425
  3. ↓ 500Anabel#911 → #1,411
  4. ↓ 344Cindy#711 → #1,055
  5. ↓ 334Anabella#529 → #863

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

See the top 100 for 2015 →