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Cara as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Cara

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The baby name Cara is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈkɑːrə/ (KAH-ruh),/ˈkærə/ (KAR-ə),Italian: /ˈkaːra/ (KAH-rah).

Cara is Irish, Italian, Latin in Origin.

Gender: Female
Syllables: 2.0
Origin: Irish, Italian, Latin
Pronunciation: /ˈkɑːrə/ (KAH-ruh),/ˈkærə/ (KAR-ə),Italian: /ˈkaːra/ (KAH-rah)

What is the meaning of the name Cara ?

The baby name Cara is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈkɑːrə/ (KAH-ruh),/ˈkærə/ (KAR-ə),Italian: /ˈkaːra/ (KAH-rah).

Cara is Irish, Italian, Latin in Origin.

Cara blends several linguistic streams: from Latin carus ‘dear’ via Italian cara ‘beloved,’ and from Irish and Scottish Gaelic cara ‘friend.’ In English it has also served as a short form of Caroline and Carla. The dual sense - dearness and friendship - has made the name appealing across cultures, and the Italian endearment cara mia reinforced its romantic tone.

Use as a given name appears in Britain in the 19th century and spread widely in the English-speaking world, climbing in the U.S. and U.K. during the 1970s-1990s. Common variants include Kara (phonetic K-spelling), Carah, and the Italian nickname Caro; related forms are Carina, Carissa, and Caramia as a compound. In Irish contexts, Cara is appreciated for its straightforward ‘friend’ meaning, distinct from Ciara. Overall, Cara conveys warmth, closeness, and affection.

Cara has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Cara

Cara Delevingne Actor · Born 1992 · United Kingdom Cara Delevingne is an English model and actress, best known for her high-profile modeling career and for winning Model of the Year at the British Fashion Awards in 2012 and 2014. She has also appeared in films including Paper Towns, Suicide Squad, and Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets. Cara Williams Actor · Born 1925 · United States Cara Williams was an American actress best known for playing Billy's mother in The Defiant Ones and Gladys Porter on the CBS sitcom Pete and Gladys. She earned an Academy Award nomination for The Defiant Ones (1958) and an Emmy nomination for Pete and Gladys, building a successful career in film and television. Cara Cunningham Actor · Born 1987 · United States Cara Cunningham is an American internet personality best known for the viral “Leave Britney Alone!” video. She is also a recording artist and YouTuber whose online videos drew huge audiences, with tens of millions of plays on MySpace and more than 205 million views on YouTube before she closed her channel in 2015.
Cara Seymour Actor · Born 1964 · United Kingdom Cara Seymour is an English actress best known for her film and TV work, including Adaptation, Gangs of New York, and American Psycho. She was born on 6 January 1964. Cara Theobold Actor · Born 1990 · United Kingdom Cara Theobold is an English actress best known for playing Ivy Stuart in Downton Abbey. She was born on 8 January 1990 and made her screen debut on the ITV period drama during its 2012 to 2013 run.

Cara – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Girls 2025 #1 — 874
Germany Girls 2025 #1 — 411
KR Girls 0 #15 1 572
MT 0 #43 1 1,767
MO 0 #49 4 2,706
AO 0 #75 3 2,729
SI 0 #80 1 1,612
CN 0 #83 4 3,857
MD Girls 0 #90 3 865
JM 0 #91 3 3,714
TW 0 #96 8 4,523
PH 0 #104 7 5,607
QA 0 #104 3 7,011
GE Boys 0 #110 1 2,055
BN Girls 0 #114 1 5,459
OM 0 #120 2 6,215
CY Girls 0 #125 1 3,755
Switzerland Girls 2024 #126 10 1,786
ID Boys 0 #135 1 4,130
RS Girls 0 #136 2 1,651
MU 0 #137 1 3,613
BW Girls 0 #149 3 4,216
MT Girls 0 #153 1 3,773
CR 0 #159 7 5,526
PR Boys 0 #178 1 2,508
AE 0 #184 4 10,220
Sweden Girls 2016 #186 2 1,634
Belgium Girls 2012 #188 22 406
LU Girls 0 #188 3 4,850
LT Girls 0 #197 4 1,904
DK 0 #206 1 5,198
CN Girls 0 #208 158 8,829
PL 0 #212 1 2,600
MO Girls 0 #218 34 7,056
BG Boys 0 #220 1 3,850
AL Girls 0 #225 3 4,141
NA Girls 0 #234 4 7,146
AO Boys 0 #245 5 5,568
JM Girls 0 #246 14 7,507
GH 0 #248 1 5,396
GR Girls 0 #248 2 6,293
PT 0 #250 1 4,161
JP Girls 0 #251 1 6,592
TW Girls 0 #251 26 8,139
NA Boys 0 #252 2 6,830
SG 0 #253 17 11,010
Canada Girls 2024 #266 20 2,795
NG 0 #270 3 5,926
JM Boys 0 #292 2 6,876
KZ Boys 0 #296 1 6,578
AL Boys 0 #298 6 5,122
JP Boys 0 #302 2 7,909
QA Girls 0 #303 14 15,378
CZ Boys 0 #304 2 6,530
KZ Girls 0 #308 13 5,862
HK 0 #311 38 8,483
SA 0 #312 1 10,560
DK Girls 0 #327 3 7,429
PE 0 #329 1 6,350
GH Girls 0 #334 4 6,973
PH Girls 0 #343 48 13,098
CZ Girls 0 #351 1 5,378
MY 0 #352 3 12,352
BR 0 #360 1 5,969
PL Girls 0 #360 5 5,096
MU Girls 0 #361 2 8,539
MU Boys 0 #369 1 8,477
PT Boys 0 #377 5 7,951
ZA 0 #380 68 14,421
France Girls 2021 #382 24 3,185
OM Girls 0 #385 12 15,987
YE 0 #394 5 8,639
Austria Girls 0 #400 21 1,885
BD Girls 0 #406 1 8,413
UY Boys 0 #408 6 5,922
EG 0 #411 2 6,387
Germany 0 #412 26 2,542
HK Girls 0 #412 210 16,104
CL 0 #433 2 6,867
MX 0 #445 1 8,339
RU Girls 0 #465 34 11,913
PT Girls 0 #468 4 7,952
AR Boys 0 #475 9 7,628
SG Girls 0 #479 108 18,916
GT Boys 0 #498 2 7,625
KW Girls 0 #499 17 19,177
PA Boys 0 #503 3 9,305
CR Girls 0 #505 28 11,342
CR Boys 0 #507 4 10,188
CO 0 #509 2 7,768
PS Girls 0 #513 11 10,981
IQ Girls 0 #517 9 11,303
PA Girls 0 #518 1 9,861
AE Girls 0 #522 32 20,968
RU Boys 0 #523 4 12,621
UY Girls 0 #528 9 6,731
GT Girls 0 #540 2 7,500
IR Girls 0 #543 3 8,334
CM Girls 0 #554 7 11,671
HK Boys 0 #556 2 12,905
LY 0 #556 4 12,703
PS Boys 0 #560 2 10,655
IR Boys 0 #564 2 10,162
BH 0 #580 8 17,937
AR Girls 0 #590 10 8,289
IL Girls 0 #603 15 11,648
BD Boys 0 #605 1 10,045
BO Boys 0 #621 2 9,244
BO Girls 0 #646 6 9,488
CL Boys 0 #646 20 13,390
IN Girls 0 #653 2 13,121
IQ Boys 0 #657 11 13,071
Finland Girls 2026 #674 65 3,895
IT 0 #679 36 4,183
LB 0 #684 7 13,263
Germany Girls 0 #698 142 4,949
NG Girls 0 #719 68 15,093
BR Boys 0 #724 28 12,213
United States Girls 2024 #739 178 8,487
SY 0 #765 3 11,684
ZA Girls 0 #794 364 25,928
KW Boys 0 #805 2 18,755
TN 0 #811 19 13,765
CL Girls 0 #836 16 14,098
PE Boys 0 #866 13 14,506
NL Girls 0 #888 68 5,933
Spain Boys 0 #892 39 5,610
CO Boys 0 #893 28 15,656
SA Girls 0 #907 29 25,931
DZ 0 #912 266 20,130
OM Boys 0 #917 2 17,948
EG Boys 0 #918 8 15,035
EG Girls 0 #939 21 14,742
Spain Girls 0 #941 43 5,561
MY Girls 0 #942 53 24,821
MX Boys 0 #945 38 16,355
BR Girls 0 #987 6 12,708
PE Girls 0 #1,005 6 14,861
IN Boys 0 #1,039 1 16,750
MA 0 #1,045 84 20,986
CO Girls 0 #1,049 30 16,140
AE Boys 0 #1,143 1 22,615
MX Girls 0 #1,164 20 17,781
ZA Boys 0 #1,165 14 25,619
IT Girls 0 #1,169 280 9,415
MY Boys 0 #1,174 9 25,439
TR 0 #1,202 10 19,440
IT Boys 0 #1,417 55 10,046
SA Boys 0 #1,602 13 28,008

Cara is popular in 82 countries — most recent births per country:

Ireland
Scotland, United Kingdom
Canada
France
Switzerland

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Cara

Cara is predominantly a girl's name.
Cara is a 2 syllable name, pronounced /ˈkɑːrə/ (KAH-ruh),/ˈkærə/ (KAR-ə),Italian: /ˈkaːra/ (KAH-rah).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Kara, Caragh, Carah and Karah.
Across languages, Cara has these equivalents: Aimee (French, “beloved”), Carina (Latin/Italian, “little beloved”), Carys (Welsh, “love”), Amada (Spanish, “beloved”).
Yes, very popular — Cara ranked #1 in Ireland in 2025, and appears in official birth registries across 10 countries.
Cara ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2025).
Cara's popularity is holding steady. It moved from #1 in 2015 to #1 in 2025 in Ireland.
Yes — 5 notable people named Cara are in our database, including Cara Delevingne (Actor), Cara Williams (Actor), Cara Cunningham (Actor).