ESC 

Name Rank Total 

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1896

First Year

2026

Last Year

1991

Peak Year

#95

Peak Rank

102K

Total Count

98

Years Active

🌍

## Meaning & Origin of Kara

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

Kara is both a given name and a surname with various, unrelated origins in various cultures.

Source: [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kara%5F%28name%29) (CC BY-SA 3.0). [Read more → ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kara%5F%28name%29)

### Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

* English
* Ottoman Turkish
* Norse Mythology

📖

## The Story of Kara

The earliest SSA record of Kara as a baby girl name dates back to 1896, when 5 babies received it. 1991 was its biggest year on record, with 3,280 newborns named Kara — #106 in the national rankings. About 27% of every Kara on record arrived during the 1980s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Kara ranks #1,110 for baby girls with 218 births, falling sharply (-48%). All told, over 102K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1890s to 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

🔗

## Variants & Related Forms of Kara

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Kara. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name. 

* [Cara](/cara)
* Karaugh

🎶

## Names that sound like Kara

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

* [Cara](/cara)
* [Keira](/keira)
* [Kera](/kera)
* [Kaira](/kaira)
* [Kiera](/kiera)
* [Keara](/keara)
* Curragh
* [Carry](/carry)
* [Kerry](/kerry)
* [Carrie](/carrie)
* [Carey](/carey)
* [Cary](/cary)

Source: [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated. 

❓

## Frequently Asked Questions about Kara

What does the name Kara mean?

Kara is both a given name and a surname with various, unrelated origins in various cultures.

What is the origin of the name Kara?

Kara has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: English, Ottoman Turkish, Norse Mythology.

How popular is Kara in 2026?

In 2026, Kara ranks #1,110 among girls' names in the U.S., with 218 babies given the name that year.

When was Kara most popular?

Kara reached its peak popularity in 1991, ranking #95 that year with 3,280 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Kara most popular?

Kara has historically been most popular in Wyoming, Alaska, North Dakota. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Kara.

Is Kara a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Kara is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.

What names go well with Kara?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Kara include Margie, Ollie, Inez. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

What are nicknames or variants of Kara?

Common variants and related forms of Kara include Cara, Karaugh. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

## Similar Names

[👧MargiePeak #95](/margie)[👧OlliePeak #96](/ollie)[👧InezPeak #96](/inez)[👧MandyPeak #94](/mandy)[👧GraciePeak #94](/gracie)[👧ChristiePeak #96](/christie)[👧AlisonPeak #96](/alison)[👧DesireePeak #94](/desiree)

## About the name Kara 

Kara is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1896 and has accumulated 102K births in the dataset. Kara's peak popularity came in 1991 when it ranked #95\. Use the chart and map above to compare Kara's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

### Continue exploring 

* [ Top names of 1991 → ](/year/1991)
* [ Names of the 1990s → ](/decade/1990s)
* [ Names starting with "K" → ](/letter/k)
* [ Browse all girl names → ](/names/girls)
* [ Top names of 2026 → ](/year/2026)

Data sources

* Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. [Social Security Administration ](https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/). 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 ](https://www.behindthename.com/) (used under their public API terms).
* Meaning prose and editorial summary — [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/) article extracts, licensed under [CC BY-SA 3.0 ](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/).
* Predicted nationality distribution — [Nationalize.io ](https://nationalize.io/).
* Phonetically similar names — [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/).

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.