girl's name
Kara
KAR-uh
- Origin Italian
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 4
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 112,893
Ireland
#442
2025 births
Kara means beloved, from the Italian and Latin for dear — and a separate Norse Kara exists as the name of a valkyrie, so the same spelling covers two entirely unrelated names. Its strongest market is Ireland, at 442nd.
- Kara is a name of Italian origin.
- Peaked in 1991, when 3,281 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 14,670 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1896.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Kara over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1890s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 5 |
| 1910s | 19 |
| 1930s | 81 |
| 1940s | 221 |
| 1950s | 754 |
| 1960s | 7,070 |
| 1970s | 19,833 |
| 1980s | 27,629 |
| 1990s | 23,538 |
| 2000s | 13,499 |
| 2010s | 7,487 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 1,889 |
What Kara means
Kara means beloved or dear, from the Latin carus. A separate Old Norse Kara names a valkyrie and is unrelated, sharing only the modern spelling.
Where Kara comes from
Kara is a spelling of Cara, from the Italian cara and the Latin carus, dear or beloved — the same root as caress, charity and the French chéri. Quite separately, Kára is an Old Norse valkyrie in the Helgi poems, whose name is read as either the curly one or the stormy one. English speakers using Kara today almost always mean the Latin one, but the Norse name is genuinely distinct and older in the written record.
Kara in use
Kara peaked in the United States in 1991, when 3,281 babies were registered, and is falling in our data. It now ranks 442nd in Ireland on 9 births, 540th in Scotland on 6, 1075th in the United States on 226, 1108th in England and Wales on 31 and 1807th in France on 20, across 112,893 lifetime births in six of the seven markets we track. Ireland and Scotland both rank it far above America.
How popular is Kara?
In 2025, Kara was given to 226 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Kara is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Kara
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Kara also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Kara over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Kara in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
- Italian
- Cara
Sibling names for Kara
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Kara — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Kara
What does the name Kara mean?
Beloved or dear — the Latin carus, through the Italian cara.
Is there a Norse Kara?
Yes, a valkyrie in the Helgi poems. It is an unrelated name sharing the modern spelling.
Is it Kara or Cara?
Both are used; Cara is closer to the Italian and Kara the more common American spelling.
Where is Kara most used?
Ireland at 442nd and Scotland at 540th, both well above the United States.
How popular is the name Kara?
In 2025, Kara was given to 226 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Is Kara a girl's or a boy's name?
Kara is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Kara?
Kara has 2 syllables.
When was Kara most popular?
Kara peaked in 1991, when 3,281 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
Is Kara a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Kara currently ranks #442 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.