Kara
Kara is both a given name and a surname with various, unrelated origins in various cultures.
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 (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Kara
Kara first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1896, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1991, when 3,280 Karas were born — ranking #106 that year. As of 2026, Kara ranks #1,110 for baby girls with 218 births, falling sharply (-48%). In total, more than 102K Karas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1890s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
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.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Kara
What does the name Kara mean?
How popular is Kara in 2026?
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In which U.S. states is Kara most popular?
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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 →
- Names of the 1990s →
- Names starting with "K" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.