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#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020202016peak #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 2016

  • 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: #793 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 4,018 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: #522 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 2,454 girlsMNIllinois: #1,428 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 9,604 girlsILWisconsin: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedWIMichigan: #712 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 3,824 girlsMINew York: #614 for girls · 28 births · 1 in 3,209 girlsNYMassachusetts: #607 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 3,185 girlsMARhode Island: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedRIOregon: #436 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 1,900 girlsORNevada: #470 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 1,860 girlsNVWyoming: 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: #735 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 3,787 girlsINOhio: #429 for girls · 26 births · 1 in 2,003 girlsOHPennsylvania: #531 for girls · 20 births · 1 in 2,593 girlsPANew Jersey: #571 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 2,814 girlsNJConnecticut: #527 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 2,465 girlsCTCalifornia: #804 for girls · 43 births · 1 in 4,738 girlsCAUtah: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedUTColorado: #916 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 4,712 girlsCONebraska: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedNEMissouri: #735 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 3,875 girlsMOKentucky: #721 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 3,652 girlsKYWest Virginia: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedWVVirginia: #708 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 3,714 girlsVAMaryland: #777 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 4,007 girlsMDDelaware: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedDEArizona: #1,085 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 6,189 girlsAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedNMKansas: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedKSArkansas: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedARTennessee: #953 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 5,174 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #605 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 3,021 girlsNCSouth Carolina: #733 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 3,572 girlsSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #658 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 2,799 girlsOKLouisiana: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedLAMississippi: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedMSAlabama: #781 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 3,875 girlsALGeorgia: #912 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 4,805 girlsGAHawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Cara, so not publishedHITexas: #1,354 for girls · 18 births · 1 in 9,294 girlsTXFlorida: #1,252 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 8,671 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Ohio#429 · 1 in 2,003
  2. Oregon#436 · 1 in 1,900
  3. Nevada#470 · 1 in 1,860
  4. Minnesota#522 · 1 in 2,454
  5. Connecticut#527 · 1 in 2,465

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Ohio#429261 in 2,003
Oregon#43681 in 1,900
Nevada#47061 in 1,860
Minnesota#522101 in 2,454
Connecticut#52751 in 2,465
Pennsylvania#531201 in 2,593
New Jersey#571131 in 2,814
North Carolina#605151 in 3,021
Massachusetts#60781 in 3,185
New York#614281 in 3,209
Oklahoma#65861 in 2,799
Virginia#708101 in 3,714
Michigan#712111 in 3,824
Kentucky#72151 in 3,652
South Carolina#73351 in 3,572
Indiana#73581 in 3,787
Missouri#73571 in 3,875
Maryland#77761 in 4,007
Alabama#78151 in 3,875
Washington#79381 in 4,018
California#804431 in 4,738
Georgia#912101 in 4,805
Colorado#91651 in 4,712
Tennessee#95361 in 5,174
Arizona#1,08551 in 6,189
Florida#1,252101 in 8,671
Texas#1,354181 in 9,294
Illinois#1,42861 in 9,604
Alaska———
Arkansas———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Hawaii———
Idaho———
Iowa———
Kansas———
Louisiana———
Maine———
Mississippi———
Montana———
Nebraska———
New Hampshire———
New Mexico———
North Dakota———
Rhode Island———
South Dakota———
Utah———
Vermont———
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 2016

girls
#808
352 births · 1 in 5,034 girls

Top girls' names in 2016

  1. #1Emma19,550
  2. #2Olivia19,414
  3. #3Ava16,354
  4. #4Sophia16,185
  5. #5Isabella14,863
  6. #6Mia14,464
  7. #7Charlotte13,118
  8. #8Abigail11,796
  9. #9Emily11,006
  10. #10Amelia10,809
  11. #808Cara352
More about 2016

girls

1,772,022 girls got a published name in 2016; 1 in 5,034 of them was named Cara, which outranked 95.7% 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 Cara
  1. #801Nataly355
  2. #806Corinne354
  3. #806Kassandra354
  4. #808Cara352
  5. #808Carolyn352
  6. #808Montserrat352
  7. #808Taliyah352
  8. #813Estrella351
  9. #813Isabela351
  10. #813Yareli351

Tied with 4 names at #808; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 2015
Risers
  1. ↑ 2,389Kehlani#3,254 → #865
  2. ↑ 612Royalty#1,146 → #534
  3. ↑ 481Saoirse#1,448 → #967
  4. ↑ 396Ophelia#978 → #582
  5. ↑ 364Aitana#915 → #551
Fallers
  1. ↓ 542Caitlin#610 → #1,152
  2. ↓ 451Caitlyn#598 → #1,049
  3. ↓ 397Katelynn#652 → #1,049
  4. ↓ 382Kaitlynn#989 → #1,371
  5. ↓ 340Neriah#946 → #1,286

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

See the top 100 for 2016 →