Kara
#1,071 for girls in 2025, 226 births · Last seen for boys in 2004 at #8,143
Given to girls 99.7% of the time
- Peak · girls
- 1988 · 3,039 births
- Debut · girls
- 5 births
- In top 100 · girls
- 3 yrsof 146 years
- Total births · girls
- 101,743since 1896
Kara over time
Rank among girls' names. Click any year to open it.
Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.
Show data table
| Year | girls | boys | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | births | rank | births | |
| 2025 | #1,071 | 226 | — | |
| 2024 | #990 | 261 | — | |
| 2023 | #936 | 283 | — | |
| 2022 | #869 | 319 | — | |
| 2021 | #764 | 373 | — | |
| 2020 | #669 | 427 | — | |
| 2019 | #576 | 530 | — | |
| 2018 | #500 | 621 | — | |
| 2017 | #515 | 610 | — | |
| 2016 | #499 | 626 | — | |
| 2015 | #507 | 624 | — | |
| 2014 | #439 | 731 | — | |
| 2013 | #374 | 834 | — | |
| 2012 | #363 | 860 | — | |
| 2011 | #339 | 938 | — | |
| 2010 | #292 | 1,113 | — | |
| 2009 | #238 | 1,391 | — | |
| 2008 | #257 | 1,338 | — | |
| 2007 | #288 | 1,171 | — | |
| 2006 | #282 | 1,192 | — | |
| 2005 | #267 | 1,230 | — | |
| 2004 | #249 | 1,285 | #8,143 | 8 |
| 2003 | #239 | 1,356 | — | |
| 2002 | #223 | 1,403 | — | |
| 2001 | #216 | 1,476 | — | |
| 2000 | #192 | 1,649 | — | |
| 1999 | #183 | 1,688 | — | |
| 1998 | #176 | 1,711 | — | |
| 1997 | #161 | 1,907 | #9,265 | 5 |
| 1996 | #165 | 1,909 | — | |
| 1995 | #152 | 2,148 | — | |
| 1994 | #134 | 2,376 | #5,868 | 9 |
| 1993 | #131 | 2,527 | — | |
| 1992 | #114 | 2,931 | #8,435 | 5 |
| 1991 | #106 | 3,281 | — | |
| 1990 | #110 | 3,036 | #8,117 | 5 |
| 1989 | #101 | 3,121 | #3,618 | 15 |
| 1988 | #95 | 3,039 | #6,426 | 6 |
| 1987 | #104 | 2,699 | #3,521 | 13 |
| 1986 | #102 | 2,722 | #2,891 | 17 |
| 1985 | #98 | 2,811 | #3,401 | 13 |
| 1984 | #95 | 2,855 | #4,552 | 8 |
| 1983 | #101 | 2,714 | #2,676 | 17 |
| 1982 | #113 | 2,661 | #3,282 | 13 |
| 1981 | #121 | 2,439 | #4,509 | 8 |
| 1980 | #127 | 2,445 | #3,256 | 13 |
| 1979 | #125 | 2,300 | #3,357 | 12 |
| 1978 | #127 | 2,290 | — | |
| 1977 | #120 | 2,415 | #3,386 | 11 |
| 1976 | #138 | 2,037 | #4,012 | 8 |
| 1975 | #118 | 2,358 | #2,751 | 14 |
| 1974 | #125 | 2,304 | #3,558 | 9 |
| 1973 | #167 | 1,630 | — | |
| 1972 | #196 | 1,454 | #4,441 | 6 |
| 1971 | #204 | 1,469 | #4,907 | 5 |
| 1970 | #209 | 1,503 | #3,521 | 8 |
| 1969 | #222 | 1,354 | #3,595 | 7 |
| 1968 | #290 | 908 | #4,136 | 5 |
| 1967 | #275 | 949 | #3,559 | 6 |
| 1966 | #380 | 580 | — | |
| 1965 | #319 | 798 | #3,537 | 6 |
| 1964 | #366 | 663 | — | |
| 1963 | #329 | 817 | — | |
| 1962 | #429 | 516 | #3,305 | 7 |
| 1961 | #553 | 319 | — | |
| 1960 | #909 | 135 | — | |
| 1959 | #1,001 | 111 | — | |
| 1958 | #933 | 122 | — | |
| 1957 | #1,090 | 92 | — | |
| 1956 | #935 | 116 | — | |
| 1955 | #1,099 | 83 | #3,886 | 5 |
| 1954 | #1,377 | 53 | #3,452 | 6 |
| 1953 | #1,318 | 54 | — | |
| 1952 | #1,523 | 40 | — | |
| 1951 | #1,481 | 40 | — | |
| 1950 | #1,653 | 32 | — | |
| 1949 | #2,069 | 22 | — | |
| 1948 | #1,858 | 26 | — | |
| 1947 | #1,510 | 39 | — | |
| 1946 | #1,808 | 25 | — | |
| 1945 | #1,941 | 19 | — | |
| 1944 | #1,916 | 20 | — | |
| 1943 | #2,151 | 17 | — | |
| 1942 | #1,706 | 24 | — | |
| 1941 | #2,018 | 17 | — | |
| 1940 | #2,424 | 12 | — | |
| 1939 | #2,300 | 13 | — | |
| 1938 | #2,340 | 13 | — | |
| 1937 | #2,101 | 15 | — | |
| 1936 | #3,376 | 7 | — | |
| 1935 | #3,156 | 8 | — | |
| 1934 | #3,802 | 6 | — | |
| 1933 | #3,109 | 8 | — | |
| 1932 | #3,901 | 6 | — | |
| 1931 | #4,331 | 5 | — | |
| 1930 | — | — | ||
| 1929 | — | — | ||
| 1928 | — | — | ||
| 1927 | — | — | ||
| 1926 | — | — | ||
| 1925 | — | — | ||
| 1924 | — | — | ||
| 1923 | — | — | ||
| 1922 | — | — | ||
| 1921 | — | — | ||
| 1920 | — | — | ||
| 1919 | #3,817 | 7 | — | |
| 1918 | — | — | ||
| 1917 | — | — | ||
| 1916 | — | #3,516 | 6 | |
| 1915 | — | #3,392 | 6 | |
| 1914 | — | — | ||
| 1913 | — | — | ||
| 1912 | — | — | ||
| 1911 | — | — | ||
| 1910 | — | — | ||
| 1909 | — | — | ||
| 1908 | — | — | ||
| 1907 | — | — | ||
| 1906 | — | — | ||
| 1905 | — | — | ||
| 1904 | — | — | ||
| 1903 | — | — | ||
| 1902 | — | — | ||
| 1901 | — | — | ||
| 1900 | — | — | ||
| 1899 | — | — | ||
| 1898 | — | — | ||
| 1897 | — | — | ||
| 1896 | #1,583 | 5 | — | |
| 1895 | — | — | ||
| 1894 | — | — | ||
| 1893 | — | — | ||
| 1892 | — | — | ||
| 1891 | — | — | ||
| 1890 | — | — | ||
| 1889 | — | — | ||
| 1888 | — | — | ||
| 1887 | — | — | ||
| 1886 | — | — | ||
| 1885 | — | — | ||
| 1884 | — | — | ||
| 1883 | — | — | ||
| 1882 | — | — | ||
| 1881 | — | — | ||
| 1880 | — | — | ||
The first year at least five girls were named Kara! It came in at #1,583, and was given to 5 baby girls.
Quietest stretch: 1896–1918, when fewer than 6 girls a year got the name.
Where Kara is popular in 1980
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
- South Dakota#53 · 1 in 234
- North Dakota#60 · 1 in 236
- Nevada#61 · 1 in 245
- Wyoming#63 · 1 in 268
- Massachusetts#64 · 1 in 306
Best ever in a state: #37 in Wyoming, 1977.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Dakota | #53 | 20 | 1 in 234 |
| North Dakota | #60 | 20 | 1 in 236 |
| Nevada | #61 | 17 | 1 in 245 |
| Wyoming | #63 | 12 | 1 in 268 |
| Massachusetts | #64 | 102 | 1 in 306 |
| Oregon | #67 | 54 | 1 in 320 |
| Idaho | #68 | 23 | 1 in 300 |
| Indiana | #68 | 109 | 1 in 339 |
| Connecticut | #70 | 47 | 1 in 317 |
| Montana | #70 | 16 | 1 in 293 |
| New Hampshire | #77 | 18 | 1 in 294 |
| Oklahoma | #77 | 54 | 1 in 357 |
| Alaska | #78 | 10 | 1 in 284 |
| Nebraska | #80 | 31 | 1 in 347 |
| Iowa | #81 | 55 | 1 in 365 |
| Maryland | #81 | 51 | 1 in 396 |
| Kansas | #82 | 41 | 1 in 369 |
| Vermont | #86 | 8 | 1 in 331 |
| Arkansas | #88 | 33 | 1 in 409 |
| Maine | #88 | 15 | 1 in 404 |
| West Virginia | #88 | 27 | 1 in 443 |
| Missouri | #91 | 78 | 1 in 428 |
| Rhode Island | #99 | 11 | 1 in 413 |
| Illinois | #102 | 156 | 1 in 495 |
| Pennsylvania | #102 | 137 | 1 in 503 |
| Minnesota | #105 | 56 | 1 in 520 |
| Ohio | #108 | 134 | 1 in 547 |
| Michigan | #109 | 107 | 1 in 563 |
| Kentucky | #111 | 48 | 1 in 518 |
| Colorado | #114 | 38 | 1 in 518 |
| Utah | #115 | 31 | 1 in 531 |
| Virginia | #125 | 48 | 1 in 621 |
| Washington | #125 | 44 | 1 in 610 |
| Wisconsin | #127 | 48 | 1 in 656 |
| New Jersey | #136 | 56 | 1 in 664 |
| New York | #139 | 140 | 1 in 713 |
| Florida | #148 | 67 | 1 in 770 |
| Arizona | #154 | 27 | 1 in 714 |
| Alabama | #159 | 29 | 1 in 793 |
| New Mexico | #161 | 15 | 1 in 622 |
| Tennessee | #171 | 32 | 1 in 888 |
| South Carolina | #172 | 22 | 1 in 814 |
| District of Columbia | #178 | 8 | 1 in 703 |
| North Carolina | #184 | 35 | 1 in 950 |
| Texas | #207 | 110 | 1 in 1,090 |
| California | #230 | 146 | 1 in 1,190 |
| Louisiana | #240 | 24 | 1 in 1,280 |
| Hawaii | #286 | 5 | 1 in 1,007 |
| Georgia | #298 | 19 | 1 in 1,857 |
| Mississippi | #330 | 9 | 1 in 1,824 |
| Delaware | — | — | — |
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 Kara
- 81 spots since 2024 (#990 → #1,071)
- 402 spots since 2020 (#669 → #1,071)
- 564 spots since 2015 (#507 → #1,071)
- Biggest jump: 356 spots in 1961 (#909 → #553)
- Biggest drop: 155 spots in 1957 (#935 → #1,090)
- Debuted 1896
- Peaked 1988 at #95 (3,039 births)
- Births halved by 2001, 13 yrs later
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: 3 yrs · run 1984–1985
- Top 1,000: 67 yrs · run 1960–2024
- Highest: 1 in 571 girls born in 1991 were named Kara (0.17%)
- Latest: 1 in 7,112 girls born in 2025 (0.01%)
- Its best rank, #95 in 1988, was only 1 in 586 (0.17%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
- 27.0% of all girls named Kara (27,506) were born in this decade
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1890s | 5 | #1,583 (1896) | #1,583 |
| 1900s | 0 | — | — |
| 1910s | 7 | #3,817 (1919) | #3,817 |
| 1920s | 0 | — | — |
| 1930s | 81 | #2,101 (1937) | #3,157 |
| 1940s | 221 | #1,510 (1947) | #1,940 |
| 1950s | 743 | #933 (1958) | #1,241 |
| 1960s | 7,039 | #222 (1969) | #407 |
| 1970s | 19,760 | #118 (1975) | #153 |
| 1980s | 27,506 | #95 (1988) | #106 |
| 1990s | 23,514 | #106 (1991) | #143 |
| 2000s | 13,491 | #192 (2000) | #245 |
| 2010s | 7,487 | #292 (2010) | #440 |
| 2020s | 1,889 | #669 (2020) | #883 |
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.
Kara in 1980
Top girls' names in 1980
Top boys' names in 1980
More about 1980
girls
1,660,307 girls got a published name in 1980; 1 in 679 of them was named Kara, which outranked 99.0% of the 12,161 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 17.1% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.
boys
1,783,951 boys got a published name in 1980; 1 in 137,227 of them was named Kara, which outranked 55.4% of the 7,293 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.6% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).
- #3,098Werner14
- #3,098Wiliam14
- #3,098Yasir14
- #3,256Kara13
- #3,256Able13
- #3,256Akram13
- #3,256Aleem13
- #3,430Adama12
- #3,430Almanzo12
- #3,430Anish12
Tied with 173 names at #3,256; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.