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Name Lineage

    The first name Cara

    A girl’s name from Italian meaning “dear”, “friend”.

    2 syllables Female Also a surname

    Meaning and origin

    Italian origin

    Cara means “dear”, “friend” in Italian.

    20th-century English coinage from Italian cara (“dear”) or Irish cara (“friend”).

    More names that mean friend, love.

    From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

    Popularity

    Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025

    In 2025, 85 girls were named Cara, making it the 468th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2001, with 324 births (#140).

    0200400 1996200020052010201520202025
    6,460
    babies named Cara, 1996–2025
    #468
    rank in 2025
    2001
    peak year

    Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Cara with other names.

    Popularity in the United States

    Babies named Cara at birth, 1880–2025

    In 2025, 168 girls born in the United States were named Cara, the 1,326th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1985, when 1,465 were.

    01,0002,000 188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
    53,367
    babies named Cara since 1880
    #1,326
    rank in 2025
    1985
    peak year

    US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.

    Nicknames and spellings

    Other spellings and forms

    Famous people named Cara

    13 on Wikidata, most written-about first

    • Cara Delevingne
      British model and actor (born 1992)
    • Cara Buono
      American actress, screenwriter, and director, born 1971
    • Cara Williams
      American actress (1925–2021)
    • Cara Cunningham
      American Internet personality, songwriter, and recording artist, born 1987
    • Cara Seymour
      British actress, born 1964
    • Cara Theobold
      British actress, born 1990
    • Cara Lott
      American pornographic actress, 1961–2018
    • Cara DeLizia
      American actress, born 1984
    • Cara Mund
      American beauty pageant winner, lawyer, Congressional candidate, born 1993
    • Cara Horgan
      British actress, born 1984
    • Cara Pifko
      Canadian actress, born 1976
    • Carly Fiorina
      American businesswoman and politician, born 1954

    More Italian girls’ names

    All 80 names of Italian origin

    Questions

    What does the name Cara mean?
    Cara means “dear”, “friend” in Italian.
    What is the origin of the name Cara?
    20th-century English coinage from Italian cara (“dear”) or Irish cara (“friend”).
    How popular is the name Cara?
    In 2025, 85 girls born in England and Wales were named Cara, ranking 468th. Its peak was 2001, with 324 births.
    Is Cara a boy's or a girl's name?
    Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 53,367 US babies named Cara since 1880 were girls.
    When was Cara most popular?
    1985 in the United States, when 1,465 babies were named Cara, its highest rank at 184th.
    What are other spellings of Cara?
    Kara.
    Is Cara also a surname?
    Yes. Cara is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.