Kara is a distinctive choice, ranked #1079 in 2025. Your child is likely to be the only Kara in their class.
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UK Rank 2025
#1079
US Rank #988
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About the Name Kara
Kara has seen a notable decline in recent years, dropping 371 places in five years. It was most popular in 2011 at #186 โ parents choosing it today are making a deliberately counter-trend decision. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996.
Kara is uncommon in the UK, so your child is very likely to be the only Kara in their class.
In the US it sits at #988 โ notably more popular in the UK than across the Atlantic.
โญ Famous People Named Kara
Kara Tointon โ Kara Louise Tointon is an English actress, known for playing Dawn Swann in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.
Kara Wilson โ Kara Wilson is a Scottish actress best known for her roles as Patience Heatherstone in the 1964 adaptation of The Children of the New Forest and as Miss Caroline Gordon in the seventh series of children's soap opera Grange Hill.
Kara-Murza โ Kara-Murza (Russian: ะะฐัะฐฬ-ะััะทะฐฬ) is a surname of Tatar origin translated as "Black Prince" (Black "murza").
Biographical summaries are shortened from Wikipedia and are used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence; those summaries remain available under that same licence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Kara
Unlikely. With around 31 UK babies named Kara per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Kara in their class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Kara is declining: down 565 places since 2020, to #1,079 in 2025. It peaked at #186 in 2011.
Kara is more popular in the UK (#885) than in the US (#988). Names with strong rankings in both countries tend to have broad cross-cultural appeal, working well for international families or those with ties to both nations.
Notable people named Kara include: Kara Tointon, Kara Wilson and Kara-Murza. Short summaries for each appear below.
Kara ranks #988 in the US top 1,000 (2024). It's recognised in America but considerably more popular in the UK.
31
UK babies named Kara (2025)
< 1
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.0
In a school of 600
↓ 565 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Kara
Almost certainly the only Kara in the class
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UK Popularity (1996–2025)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
US Popularity (2020–2024)
Rank · SSA official data
✨ Similar names to Kara
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
Kara Wilson is a Scottish actress best known for her roles as Patience Heatherstone in the 1964 adaptation of The Children of the New Forest and as Miss Caroline Gordon in the seventh series of children's soap opera Grange Hill.
Kara Killmer is an American actress, best known for starring as paramedic Sylvie Brett in the NBC drama series Chicago Fire (as well as the associated series Chicago Med and Chicago P.D., which together make up the One Chicago franchise), from 2014 to 2024.