Girl · #13,455 in 2026

Chara

Chara or Chará is a feminine given name and a surname. Chara mostly is used as the greek "Χαρά" with english lettering but Chara can also be an English name. Chara is an English feminine given name that is a diminutive form of Charlotte as well as an alternate form of Cara and Kara from the Latin cārus meaning “darling, beloved, dear, loved one”.

Current Rank
#13,455
Peak Rank
#2,452 (1982)
Total Babies
1K
5-Yr Trend
Stable
1956
First Year
2023
Last Year
1982
Peak Year
#2452
Peak Rank
1K
Total Count
65
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Chara

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Chara or Chará is a feminine given name and a surname. Chara mostly is used as the greek "Χαρά" with english lettering but Chara can also be an English name. Chara is an English feminine given name that is a diminutive form of Charlotte as well as an alternate form of Cara and Kara from the Latin cārus meaning “darling, beloved, dear, loved one”.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Chara

Chara first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1956, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1982, when 39 Charas were born — ranking #2,452 that year. As of 2026, Chara ranks #13,455 for baby girls with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 1K Charas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1950s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Chara

Phonetically similar names — useful when Chara is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Chara

What does the name Chara mean?
Chara or Chará is a feminine given name and a surname. Chara mostly is used as the greek "Χαρά" with english lettering but Chara can also be an English name. Chara is an English feminine given name that is a diminutive form of Charlotte as well as an alternate form of Cara and Kara from the Latin cārus meaning “darling, beloved, dear, loved one”.
How popular is Chara in 2026?
In 2026, Chara ranks #13,455 among girls' names in the U.S., with 6 babies given the name that year.
When was Chara most popular?
Chara reached its peak popularity in 1982, ranking #2,452 that year with 39 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Chara most popular?
Chara has historically been most popular in Florida, Texas, California. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Chara.
Is Chara a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Chara is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Chara?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Chara include Nadja, Aurea, Rima. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

👧
Nadja
Peak #2451
👧
Aurea
Peak #2453
👧
Rima
Peak #2453
👧
Dewana
Peak #2453
👧
Carlye
Peak #2451
👧
Tamberly
Peak #2453
👧
Kebrina
Peak #2451
👧
Tacy
Peak #2454

About the name Chara

Chara is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1956 and has accumulated 1K births in the dataset. Chara's peak popularity came in 1982 when it ranked #2,452. Use the chart and map above to compare Chara's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.