Kara is a girl name with a modern feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Kara means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Kara across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Kara has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Kara is a girl name of Latin origin meaning “dear, beloved”. from the Italian and Latin cara.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 102,025 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 4,031 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 1,611 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 275 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 674 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Kara per year, United States (1896 to 2025). United States peaked in 1991 (3,281/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2011 (275/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2011 (69/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2011 (35/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2009 (24/yr).
Kara has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1991, when it ranked #214 nationally (given to 3,325 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1990s.
Gary · Kiara · Cora · Keira · Kari · Keri · Cara · Kyra
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