Pronunciation
Ca-ra
Meaning
Friend
Alternate spellings
Caragh
Fun fact
Cara means friend in Irish. It’s a word we use as well as a name, and I think it has such a lovely meaning.
Popularity in Ireland
Figures for the spelling Cara, Republic of Ireland.
The CSO only publishes names given to three or more babies in a year. “Less than 3” means zero, one or two babies, and these years appear as gaps on the graph.
#52Rank among girl names in 202594Babies registered in 2025
Number of babies registered each year
From 2018, spellings with and without fadas are counted separately. Earlier figures group these spellings together, so the graph has a break at 2018.
View yearly figures
| Year | Babies named | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 94 | #52 |
| 2024 | 118 | #37 |
| 2023 | 157 | #27 |
| 2022 | 152 | #33 |
| 2021 | 155 | #33 |
| 2020 | 135 | #36 |
| 2019 | 176 | #31 |
| 2018 | 184 | #29 |
| 2017 | 162 | #34 |
| 2016 | 181 | #34 |
| 2015 | 185 | #36 |
| 2014 | 165 | #35 |
| 2013 | 160 | #40 |
| 2012 | 148 | #48 |
| 2011 | 155 | #50 |
| 2010 | 144 | #52 |
| 2009 | 123 | #58 |
| 2008 | 115 | #61 |
| 2007 | 96 | #68 |
| 2006 | 91 | #67 |
| 2005 | 87 | #66 |
| 2004 | 76 | #73 |
| 2003 | 60 | #86 |
| 2002 | 49 | #101 |
| 2001 | 53 | #91 |
| 2000 | 48 | #92 |
| 1999 | 36 | #110 |
| 1998 | 21 | #166 |
| 1997 | 24 | #189 |
| 1996 | 23 | #192 |
| 1995 | 26 | #167 |
| 1994 | 16 | #227 |
| 1993 | 21 | #193 |
| 1992 | 17 | #229 |
| 1991 | 15 | #244 |
| 1990 | 14 | #249 |
| 1989 | 12 | #272 |
| 1988 | 13 | #270 |
| 1987 | 16 | #242 |
| 1986 | 14 | #263 |
| 1985 | 8 | #348 |
| 1984 | 18 | #230 |
| 1983 | 14 | #267 |
| 1982 | 12 | #300 |
| 1981 | 17 | #251 |
| 1980 | 18 | #245 |
| 1979 | 20 | #230 |
| 1978 | 14 | #266 |
| 1977 | 15 | #254 |
| 1976 | 13 | #263 |
| 1975 | 19 | #221 |
| 1974 | 30 | #190 |
| 1973 | 16 | #248 |
| 1972 | 10 | #285 |
| 1971 | 9 | #289 |
| 1970 | 4 | #396 |
| 1969 | 7 | #303 |
| 1968 | 4 | #357 |
| 1967 | 3 | #393 |
| 1966 | 4 | #344 |
| 1965 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1964 | Less than 3 | - |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies’ Names, tables VSA50 and VSA60. Latest year: 2025.