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#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201977peak #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 1977

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedAKMaine: #195 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 985 girlsMEVermont: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: #79 for girls · 14 births · 1 in 324 girlsNHWashington: #130 for girls · 36 births · 1 in 633 girlsWAIdaho: #127 for girls · 12 births · 1 in 523 girlsIDMontana: #200 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 867 girlsMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedNDMinnesota: #133 for girls · 37 births · 1 in 699 girlsMNIllinois: #158 for girls · 85 births · 1 in 851 girlsILWisconsin: #174 for girls · 29 births · 1 in 999 girlsWIMichigan: #186 for girls · 57 births · 1 in 1,002 girlsMINew York: #165 for girls · 122 births · 1 in 835 girlsNYMassachusetts: #127 for girls · 51 births · 1 in 577 girlsMARhode Island: #126 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 552 girlsRIOregon: #159 for girls · 18 births · 1 in 818 girlsORNevada: #105 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 382 girlsNVWyoming: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: #140 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 537 girlsSDIowa: #128 for girls · 30 births · 1 in 631 girlsIAIndiana: #135 for girls · 52 births · 1 in 678 girlsINOhio: #162 for girls · 87 births · 1 in 806 girlsOHPennsylvania: #159 for girls · 82 births · 1 in 810 girlsPANew Jersey: #147 for girls · 49 births · 1 in 749 girlsNJConnecticut: #170 for girls · 16 births · 1 in 890 girlsCTCalifornia: #248 for girls · 116 births · 1 in 1,289 girlsCAUtah: #283 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 1,633 girlsUTColorado: #209 for girls · 16 births · 1 in 1,067 girlsCONebraska: #199 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 1,006 girlsNEMissouri: #138 for girls · 46 births · 1 in 673 girlsMOKentucky: #156 for girls · 32 births · 1 in 768 girlsKYWest Virginia: #160 for girls · 16 births · 1 in 771 girlsWVVirginia: #173 for girls · 35 births · 1 in 806 girlsVAMaryland: #185 for girls · 21 births · 1 in 879 girlsMDDelaware: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedDEArizona: #210 for girls · 17 births · 1 in 938 girlsAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedNMKansas: #131 for girls · 23 births · 1 in 588 girlsKSArkansas: #159 for girls · 18 births · 1 in 722 girlsARTennessee: #288 for girls · 16 births · 1 in 1,753 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #444 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 3,307 girlsNCSouth Carolina: #512 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 3,508 girlsSCDistrict of Columbia: #168 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 672 girlsDCOklahoma: #153 for girls · 24 births · 1 in 705 girlsOKLouisiana: #326 for girls · 16 births · 1 in 1,749 girlsLAMississippi: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedMSAlabama: #366 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 2,300 girlsALGeorgia: #337 for girls · 17 births · 1 in 1,932 girlsGAHawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedHITexas: #267 for girls · 75 births · 1 in 1,340 girlsTXFlorida: #233 for girls · 34 births · 1 in 1,271 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. New Hampshire#79 · 1 in 324
  2. Nevada#105 · 1 in 382
  3. Rhode Island#126 · 1 in 552
  4. Idaho#127 · 1 in 523
  5. Massachusetts#127 · 1 in 577

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
New Hampshire#79141 in 324
Nevada#10581 in 382
Rhode Island#12681 in 552
Idaho#127121 in 523
Massachusetts#127511 in 577
Iowa#128301 in 631
Washington#130361 in 633
Kansas#131231 in 588
Minnesota#133371 in 699
Indiana#135521 in 678
Missouri#138461 in 673
South Dakota#14081 in 537
New Jersey#147491 in 749
Oklahoma#153241 in 705
Kentucky#156321 in 768
Illinois#158851 in 851
Arkansas#159181 in 722
Oregon#159181 in 818
Pennsylvania#159821 in 810
West Virginia#160161 in 771
Ohio#162871 in 806
New York#1651221 in 835
District of Columbia#16891 in 672
Connecticut#170161 in 890
Virginia#173351 in 806
Wisconsin#174291 in 999
Maryland#185211 in 879
Michigan#186571 in 1,002
Maine#19561 in 985
Nebraska#199101 in 1,006
Montana#20051 in 867
Colorado#209161 in 1,067
Arizona#210171 in 938
Florida#233341 in 1,271
California#2481161 in 1,289
Texas#267751 in 1,340
Utah#28391 in 1,633
Tennessee#288161 in 1,753
Louisiana#326161 in 1,749
Georgia#337171 in 1,932
Alabama#366101 in 2,300
North Carolina#444101 in 3,307
South Carolina#51251 in 3,508
Alaska
Delaware
Hawaii
Mississippi
New Mexico
North 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 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 1977

girls
#189
1,411 births · 1 in 1,087 girls
boys
#5,845
5 births · 1 in 328,644 boys

Top girls' names in 1977

  1. #1Jennifer58,964
  2. #2Melissa26,879
  3. #3Amy26,729
  4. #4Jessica24,846
  5. #5Heather23,773
  6. #6Angela20,998
  7. #7Michelle19,540
  8. #8Kimberly18,286
  9. #9Amanda18,278
  10. #10Kelly18,234
  11. #189Cara1,411

Top boys' names in 1977

  1. #1Michael67,587
  2. #2Jason55,631
  3. #3Christopher46,721
  4. #4David40,515
  5. #5James40,040
  6. #6Robert34,214
  7. #7John34,195
  8. #8Brian32,492
  9. #9Matthew31,965
  10. #10Joseph26,483
  11. #5,845Cara5
More about 1977

girls

1,533,146 girls got a published name in 1977; 1 in 1,087 of them was named Cara, which outranked 98.3% of the 11,329 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 16.7% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Cara
  1. #185Stacie1,487
  2. #187Keri1,474
  3. #188Kerri1,438
  4. #189Cara1,411
  5. #190Kathy1,406
  6. #191Angie1,390
  7. #192Terri1,389
Biggest movers since 1976
Risers
  1. 1,746Shawnte#2,486#740
  2. 1,077Jacklyn#2,060#983
  3. 775Talia#1,482#707
  4. 605Haley#1,047#442
  5. 576Raven#1,154#578
Fallers
  1. 1,033Liberty#543#1,576
  2. 464Luciana#545#1,009
  3. 441Danyel#999#1,440
  4. 428Chaka#897#1,325
  5. 322Catina#861#1,183

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

boys

1,643,220 boys got a published name in 1977; 1 in 328,644 of them was named Cara, which outranked 14.8% of the 6,861 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 24.9% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Cara
  1. #5,123Zed6
  2. #5,123Zeferino6
  3. #5,123Zerick6
  4. #5,845Cara5
  5. #5,845Aashish5
  6. #5,845Abby5
  7. #5,845Abdual5

Tied with 1,016 names at #5,845; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1976
Risers
  1. 5,102Lavar#5,587#485
  2. 4,753Kinte#5,587#834
  3. 969Jedidiah#1,873#904
  4. 811Conor#1,748#937
  5. 704Amin#1,608#904
Fallers
  1. 427Jerimy#963#1,390
  2. 322Demetrios#990#1,312
  3. 246Nakia#790#1,036
  4. 244Baron#977#1,221
  5. 235Hakim#878#1,113

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

See the top 100 for 1977