Meaning and history
Kara has more than one possible origin in modern English. It is commonly treated as a variant of Cara, from an Italian word meaning "dear" or "beloved," or as a short form of names such as Karina; the same spelling also occurs independently in other languages. It became particularly familiar through fictional characters including Supergirl's identity Kara Danvers. Notable real bearers include swimmer Kara Lynn Joyce and politician Kara Swisher.
20062006: 1,192 births, rank #282
2007: 1,171 births, rank #288
2008: 1,338 births, rank #257
2009: 1,391 births, rank #238
2010: 1,113 births, rank #292
20112011: 938 births, rank #339
2012: 860 births, rank #363
2013: 834 births, rank #374
2014: 731 births, rank #439
2015: 624 births, rank #507
20162016: 626 births, rank #499
2017: 610 births, rank #515
2018: 621 births, rank #500
2019: 530 births, rank #576
2020: 427 births, rank #669
20212021: 373 births, rank #764
2022: 319 births, rank #869
2023: 283 births, rank #936
2024: 261 births, rank #990
20252025: 226 births, rank #1,071
Kara moved from #939 to #992 for girls between 2023 and 2024. Its highest annual birth count came in 1991, with 3,281 births.