Girl name · Irish and Italian
Cara
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: friend in Irish; beloved in ItalianCara is a girl's name that comes from Irish and Italian and means "friend in Irish; beloved in Italian". It is used in English and Irish.
- Meaning
- Friend in Irish; beloved in Italian
- Origin
- Irish and Italian
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #1326 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Cara
As a girl's name, Cara comes from Irish and Italian and means "friend in Irish; beloved in Italian". It is used in English and Irish.
In Irish, say KAR-a. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Its meaning puts Cara on our names that mean love list.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Cara on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Cara on 2 lists.
“Friend in Irish Gaelic; also beloved in Italian. Say KAR-a.”
From Irish girl names, irish girl names with beautiful meanings
“Beloved in Italian, friend in Irish”
From Names that mean love, names that mean beloved or dear
How popular is Cara?
- US rank in 2025
- #1,326
- 168 babies, 105 per million girls
- Best rank
- #184 in 1985
- 1,465 babies that year
- Babies since 1882
- At least 53,305
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 48 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 41 per million |
| 1900s | 39 per million |
| 1910s | 27 per million |
| 1920s | 24 per million |
| 1930s | 29 per million |
| 1940s | 34 per million |
| 1950s | 67 per million |
| 1960s | 316 per million |
| 1970s | 674 per million |
| 1980s | 773 per million |
| 1990s | 547 per million |
| 2000s | 327 per million |
| 2010s | 219 per million |
| 2020s | 131 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #808 | #861 | #874 | #1,021 | #908 | #1,025 | #1,163 | #1,264 | #1,297 | #1,326 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Names spelled like Cara
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- ClaraClear, bright (Latin, girl)
- CarlaFree man, feminine of Charles (Germanic, girl)
- CoraMaiden, young girl (Greek, girl)
- CataPet form of Catalina (Spanish, girl)
- CharaJoy, happiness (Greek, girl)
- CiaraDark one (Irish Gaelic, girl)
- CarinaDear, beloved (Latin, girl)
- CoralReef stone of the sea (Greek, girl)
- ÇağlaGreen almonds (Turkish, girl)
Names with a similar meaning
- DavidBeloved one (Hebrew, boy)
- OscarPossibly deer friend (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- MiriamForm of Mary, meaning uncertain; perhaps Egyptian beloved (Hebrew, girl)
- LiaItalian, Portuguese and Greek form of Leah (Hebrew, girl)
- AzizPowerful, respected, beloved (Arabic, boy)
- BaldwinBold friend (Germanic, boy)
- EnzoItalian name, from Heinz, a form of Henry; popular in France (Germanic, boy)
- FridaPeace; in Old Norse, beloved (Germanic and Old Norse, girl)
- AmadoBeloved (Latin, boy)
- BellamyBeautiful friend (Old French, unisex)
- DaveyBeloved (Hebrew, boy)
- DavinaBeloved one (Hebrew, girl)
- DeclanMeaning unknown, though likely begins with Old Irish dag, good (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- DilaraAdorner of the heart; beloved (Persian, girl)
- ErasmusBeloved (Greek, boy)
Middle names for Cara
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
Cara: common questions
What does the name Cara mean?
Cara comes from Irish and Italian and means "friend in Irish; beloved in Italian".
Is Cara a boy or girl name?
Cara is mainly a girl's name.
Where does the name Cara come from?
Cara comes from Irish and Italian and means "friend in Irish; beloved in Italian". Today it is used in English and Irish.
How popular is the name Cara?
Cara ranked #1,326 in the US in 2025, with 168 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Cara?
Names spelled like Cara include Clara, Carla, Cora, Cata and Chara.
What middle names go with Cara?
Middle names that flow well with Cara include Amelia, Elowen, Fenella, Lydia and Naomi. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.