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
Show data for
Peak · girls
1988 · 3,039 births
Debut · girls
5 births
In top 100 · girls
3 yrs
of 146 years
Total births · girls
101,743
since 1896

Kara over time

girls

Rank among girls' names. Click any year to open it.

#1#10#100#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201970peak #95, 1988girls
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#1,071226—
2024#990261—
2023#936283—
2022#869319—
2021#764373—
2020#669427—
2019#576530—
2018#500621—
2017#515610—
2016#499626—
2015#507624—
2014#439731—
2013#374834—
2012#363860—
2011#339938—
2010#2921,113—
2009#2381,391—
2008#2571,338—
2007#2881,171—
2006#2821,192—
2005#2671,230—
2004#2491,285#8,1438
2003#2391,356—
2002#2231,403—
2001#2161,476—
2000#1921,649—
1999#1831,688—
1998#1761,711—
1997#1611,907#9,2655
1996#1651,909—
1995#1522,148—
1994#1342,376#5,8689
1993#1312,527—
1992#1142,931#8,4355
1991#1063,281—
1990#1103,036#8,1175
1989#1013,121#3,61815
1988#953,039#6,4266
1987#1042,699#3,52113
1986#1022,722#2,89117
1985#982,811#3,40113
1984#952,855#4,5528
1983#1012,714#2,67617
1982#1132,661#3,28213
1981#1212,439#4,5098
1980#1272,445#3,25613
1979#1252,300#3,35712
1978#1272,290—
1977#1202,415#3,38611
1976#1382,037#4,0128
1975#1182,358#2,75114
1974#1252,304#3,5589
1973#1671,630—
1972#1961,454#4,4416
1971#2041,469#4,9075
1970#2091,503#3,5218
1969#2221,354#3,5957
1968#290908#4,1365
1967#275949#3,5596
1966#380580—
1965#319798#3,5376
1964#366663—
1963#329817—
1962#429516#3,3057
1961#553319—
1960#909135—
1959#1,001111—
1958#933122—
1957#1,09092—
1956#935116—
1955#1,09983#3,8865
1954#1,37753#3,4526
1953#1,31854—
1952#1,52340—
1951#1,48140—
1950#1,65332—
1949#2,06922—
1948#1,85826—
1947#1,51039—
1946#1,80825—
1945#1,94119—
1944#1,91620—
1943#2,15117—
1942#1,70624—
1941#2,01817—
1940#2,42412—
1939#2,30013—
1938#2,34013—
1937#2,10115—
1936#3,3767—
1935#3,1568—
1934#3,8026—
1933#3,1098—
1932#3,9016—
1931#4,3315—
1930——
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1919#3,8177—
1918——
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1916—#3,5166
1915—#3,3926
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1896#1,5835—
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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 1970

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 girls named Kara, so not publishedAKMaine: #194 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 896 girlsMEVermont: fewer than 5 girls named Kara, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: #119 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 508 girlsNHWashington: #175 for girls · 32 births · 1 in 769 girlsWAIdaho: #170 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 608 girlsIDMontana: #211 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 868 girlsMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Kara, so not publishedNDMinnesota: #124 for girls · 55 births · 1 in 538 girlsMNIllinois: #205 for girls · 81 births · 1 in 1,083 girlsILWisconsin: #183 for girls · 33 births · 1 in 1,021 girlsWIMichigan: #193 for girls · 70 births · 1 in 1,058 girlsMINew York: #235 for girls · 114 births · 1 in 1,240 girlsNYMassachusetts: #102 for girls · 92 births · 1 in 459 girlsMARhode Island: #98 for girls · 16 births · 1 in 400 girlsRIOregon: #226 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 1,105 girlsORNevada: fewer than 5 girls named Kara, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 girls named Kara, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: #160 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 611 girlsSDIowa: #135 for girls · 35 births · 1 in 597 girlsIAIndiana: #151 for girls · 55 births · 1 in 783 girlsINOhio: #193 for girls · 88 births · 1 in 1,013 girlsOHPennsylvania: #215 for girls · 71 births · 1 in 1,210 girlsPANew Jersey: #190 for girls · 54 births · 1 in 930 girlsNJConnecticut: #145 for girls · 29 births · 1 in 716 girlsCTCalifornia: #310 for girls · 102 births · 1 in 1,608 girlsCAUtah: #128 for girls · 21 births · 1 in 500 girlsUTColorado: #172 for girls · 22 births · 1 in 782 girlsCONebraska: #154 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 695 girlsNEMissouri: #142 for girls · 53 births · 1 in 669 girlsMOKentucky: #227 for girls · 21 births · 1 in 1,237 girlsKYWest Virginia: #203 for girls · 12 births · 1 in 1,067 girlsWVVirginia: #267 for girls · 22 births · 1 in 1,564 girlsVAMaryland: #179 for girls · 30 births · 1 in 841 girlsMDDelaware: #163 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 752 girlsDEArizona: #227 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 996 girlsAZNew Mexico: #318 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 1,369 girlsNMKansas: #176 for girls · 18 births · 1 in 820 girlsKSArkansas: #255 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 1,362 girlsARTennessee: #257 for girls · 20 births · 1 in 1,575 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #267 for girls · 26 births · 1 in 1,611 girlsNCSouth Carolina: fewer than 5 girls named Kara, so not publishedSCDistrict of Columbia: #201 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 907 girlsDCOklahoma: #180 for girls · 23 births · 1 in 766 girlsOKLouisiana: #302 for girls · 19 births · 1 in 1,600 girlsLAMississippi: #382 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 2,349 girlsMSAlabama: #360 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 2,464 girlsALGeorgia: #437 for girls · 12 births · 1 in 3,368 girlsGAHawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Kara, so not publishedHITexas: #255 for girls · 84 births · 1 in 1,240 girlsTXFlorida: #241 for girls · 38 births · 1 in 1,253 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Rhode Island#98 · 1 in 400
  2. Massachusetts#102 · 1 in 459
  3. New Hampshire#119 · 1 in 508
  4. Minnesota#124 · 1 in 538
  5. Utah#128 · 1 in 500

Best ever in a state: #37 in Wyoming, 1977.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Rhode Island#98161 in 400
Massachusetts#102921 in 459
New Hampshire#119101 in 508
Minnesota#124551 in 538
Utah#128211 in 500
Iowa#135351 in 597
Missouri#142531 in 669
Connecticut#145291 in 716
Indiana#151551 in 783
Nebraska#154151 in 695
South Dakota#16071 in 611
Delaware#16351 in 752
Idaho#17081 in 608
Colorado#172221 in 782
Washington#175321 in 769
Kansas#176181 in 820
Maryland#179301 in 841
Oklahoma#180231 in 766
Wisconsin#183331 in 1,021
New Jersey#190541 in 930
Michigan#193701 in 1,058
Ohio#193881 in 1,013
Maine#19481 in 896
District of Columbia#201111 in 907
West Virginia#203121 in 1,067
Illinois#205811 in 1,083
Montana#21151 in 868
Pennsylvania#215711 in 1,210
Oregon#226131 in 1,105
Arizona#227151 in 996
Kentucky#227211 in 1,237
New York#2351141 in 1,240
Florida#241381 in 1,253
Arkansas#255101 in 1,362
Texas#255841 in 1,240
Tennessee#257201 in 1,575
North Carolina#267261 in 1,611
Virginia#267221 in 1,564
Louisiana#302191 in 1,600
California#3101021 in 1,608
New Mexico#31861 in 1,369
Alabama#360111 in 2,464
Mississippi#38281 in 2,349
Georgia#437121 in 3,368
Alaska———
Hawaii———
Nevada———
North Dakota———
South Carolina———
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
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1890s5#1,583 (1896)#1,583
1900s0——
1910s7#3,817 (1919)#3,817
1920s0——
1930s81#2,101 (1937)#3,157
1940s221#1,510 (1947)#1,940
1950s743#933 (1958)#1,241
1960s7,039#222 (1969)#407
1970s19,760#118 (1975)#153
1980s27,506#95 (1988)#106
1990s23,514#106 (1991)#143
2000s13,491#192 (2000)#245
2010s7,487#292 (2010)#440
2020s1,889#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 1970

girls
#209
1,503 births · 1 in 1,163 girls
boys
#3,521
8 births · 1 in 232,279 boys

Top girls' names in 1970

  1. #1Jennifer46,150
  2. #2Lisa38,967
  3. #3Kimberly34,130
  4. #4Michelle34,047
  5. #5Amy25,212
  6. #6Angela24,929
  7. #7Melissa23,735
  8. #8Tammy19,587
  9. #9Mary19,204
  10. #10Tracy18,464
  11. #209Kara1,503

Top boys' names in 1970

  1. #1Michael85,266
  2. #2James61,735
  3. #3David61,728
  4. #4John58,491
  5. #5Robert57,177
  6. #6Christopher41,747
  7. #7William38,887
  8. #8Brian31,917
  9. #9Mark31,461
  10. #10Richard30,442
  11. #3,521Kara8
More about 1970

girls

1,748,144 girls got a published name in 1970; 1 in 1,163 of them was named Kara, which outranked 97.8% of the 9,355 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 16.3% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Kara
  1. #206Tami1,556
  2. #207Dina1,545
  3. #208Dena1,542
  4. #209Kara1,503
  5. #210Shawna1,500
  6. #211Robyn1,498
  7. #212Kelley1,497
Biggest movers since 1969
Risers
  1. ↑ 1,541Tanisha#2,515 → #974
  2. ↑ 1,194India#1,955 → #761
  3. ↑ 695Shay#1,648 → #953
  4. ↑ 685Terra#1,303 → #618
  5. ↑ 669Dyan#1,648 → #979
Fallers
  1. ↓ 385Cinnamon#698 → #1,083
  2. ↓ 306Kaye#932 → #1,238
  3. ↓ 303Luanne#990 → #1,293
  4. ↓ 273Laureen#845 → #1,118
  5. ↓ 273Lesia#965 → #1,238

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

boys

1,858,229 boys got a published name in 1970; 1 in 232,279 of them was named Kara, which outranked 35.2% of the 5,433 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 26.8% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Kara
  1. #3,282Yon9
  2. #3,282Zac9
  3. #3,282Zedrick9
  4. #3,521Kara8
  5. #3,521Abie8
  6. #3,521Adams8
  7. #3,521Adriel8
  8. #3,836Acey7
  9. #3,836Adin7
  10. #3,836Adren7

Tied with 314 names at #3,521; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1969
Risers
  1. ↑ 3,783Jermaine#4,404 → #621
  2. ↑ 1,000Dax#1,861 → #861
  3. ↑ 842Jeramy#1,810 → #968
  4. ↑ 639Branden#1,570 → #931
  5. ↑ 407Braden#1,396 → #989
Fallers
  1. ↓ 593Jemal#549 → #1,142
  2. ↓ 307Karen#885 → #1,192
  3. ↓ 307Merlin#885 → #1,192
  4. ↓ 302Dennie#920 → #1,222
  5. ↓ 276Luciano#931 → #1,207

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

See the top 100 for 1970 →