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
Showing
- 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
girls
Rank among girls' names. Click any year to open it.
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
| 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 | — | — | ||
First appearance
1896
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 2016
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
Top states · girls
- Ohio#279 · 1 in 1,183
- Alabama#291 · 1 in 1,140
- Mississippi#303 · 1 in 1,109
- Indiana#333 · 1 in 1,443
- West Virginia#336 · 1 in 1,222
Best ever in a state: #37 in Wyoming, 1977.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio | #279 | 44 | 1 in 1,183 |
| Alabama | #291 | 17 | 1 in 1,140 |
| Mississippi | #303 | 10 | 1 in 1,109 |
| Indiana | #333 | 21 | 1 in 1,443 |
| West Virginia | #336 | 5 | 1 in 1,222 |
| North Carolina | #372 | 27 | 1 in 1,678 |
| Tennessee | #377 | 19 | 1 in 1,634 |
| Massachusetts | #379 | 15 | 1 in 1,698 |
| Wisconsin | #409 | 13 | 1 in 1,792 |
| Michigan | #410 | 22 | 1 in 1,912 |
| Pennsylvania | #434 | 25 | 1 in 2,074 |
| Iowa | #447 | 7 | 1 in 1,857 |
| Oklahoma | #453 | 9 | 1 in 1,866 |
| Maryland | #458 | 12 | 1 in 2,003 |
| Arkansas | #475 | 6 | 1 in 1,881 |
| California | #479 | 83 | 1 in 2,454 |
| Minnesota | #489 | 11 | 1 in 2,231 |
| Kentucky | #508 | 8 | 1 in 2,282 |
| Washington | #518 | 13 | 1 in 2,473 |
| Illinois | #545 | 22 | 1 in 2,619 |
| Texas | #545 | 62 | 1 in 2,698 |
| Georgia | #558 | 18 | 1 in 2,669 |
| Colorado | #576 | 9 | 1 in 2,618 |
| Florida | #580 | 29 | 1 in 2,990 |
| Virginia | #580 | 13 | 1 in 2,857 |
| Missouri | #603 | 9 | 1 in 3,014 |
| Louisiana | #668 | 7 | 1 in 2,998 |
| New York | #708 | 23 | 1 in 3,906 |
| New Jersey | #710 | 10 | 1 in 3,658 |
| Utah | #724 | 5 | 1 in 3,609 |
| Arizona | #774 | 8 | 1 in 3,868 |
| Alaska | — | — | — |
| Connecticut | — | — | — |
| Delaware | — | — | — |
| District of Columbia | — | — | — |
| Hawaii | — | — | — |
| Idaho | — | — | — |
| Kansas | — | — | — |
| Maine | — | — | — |
| Montana | — | — | — |
| Nebraska | — | — | — |
| Nevada | — | — | — |
| New Hampshire | — | — | — |
| New Mexico | — | — | — |
| North Dakota | — | — | — |
| Oregon | — | — | — |
| 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 Kara
Momentum · girls
Falling
- 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)
Rise & fade · girls
92 yrs to peak
- Debuted 1896
- Peaked 1988 at #95 (3,039 births)
- Births halved by 2001, 13 yrs later
Top of the charts · girls
Top 100 for 3 yrs
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: 3 yrs · run 1984–1985
- Top 1,000: 67 yrs · run 1960–2024
Share of babies · girls
1 in 571
- 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
Era · girls
The 1980s
- 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 2016
girls
#499
626 births · 1 in 2,831 girls
Top girls' names in 2016
More about 2016
girls
1,772,022 girls got a published name in 2016; 1 in 2,831 of them was named Kara, which outranked 97.4% of the 18,885 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 8.3% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).
Ranked beside Kara
Biggest movers since 2015
Risers
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.