Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Kara

Kara is a respelling of Cara, which comes from an Italian term of endearment “cara” meaning ‘dearest one, beloved’. Cara is also considered a Gaelic name coming from the Irish word “cara” meaning ‘friend’. The name has been in use since the 19th century but did not become commonplace until the 1950s, at which time the alternate spelling of Kara was adopted. Kara is still most popular among English-speaking nations and ranks the highest in the countries of Scotland and Northern Ireland.

All About the Baby Name – Kara

Personality

OF THE GIRL NAME KARA

The number Four personality is marked by stability and discipline. This is the personality that follows the rules and is conservative by nature.  They have an earth-bound energy that prefers to build things methodically on top of firm foundations; they don't cut corners. Fours take their time and don't like to be hurried. But the outcome of their endeavors is likely to result in some strong and useful structure, which makes them great engineers and inventors. Fours are anything but frivolous or controversial. This is a trustworthy, straight-forward personality that embodies dedication and organization. They are the backbone and anchor in their relationships, careers and communities. They are tidy, punctual, and full of integrity. Hard-work comes naturally to a Four and they are immensely reliable. This is the personality you can always count on.

Popularity

OF THE GIRL NAME KARA

In the United States, Kara first appeared on the female naming charts in 1956 and pretty quickly became the preferred spelling to the older, more traditional Cara. Kara climbed the charts at a solid rate in the 1960s and 70s and by the mid-1980s, she was briefly a Top 100 choice. The name has seen a slow and steady decline in the past two decades and is now barely hanging onto a spot on the Top 300 list. Nonetheless, Kara is a strong and solid choice as a girl’s name, a sort of diamond in the rough (incidentally, in Vietnamese, “cara” means ‘carat’ which is the weight of a diamond). The name is simple, down-to-earth, and pretty. Kara also has two possible pronunciations – KARa or KAREa, both of which sound lovely. The best part of this name? The meaning. Beloved (Italian) and friend (Irish). This is a great choice for an Irish-Italian pairing. This way, the ethnicities of both mom and dad are reflected in your daughter’s name!

Quick Facts

ON KARA

GENDER:

Girl

ORIGIN:

Celtic

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

2

RANKING POPULARITY:

376

PRONUNCIATION:

KARE-ah or KHAR-ah

SIMPLE MEANING:

Beloved, dearest, friend

Characteristics

OF KARA

Dependable

Solid

Practical

Hard-working

Industrious

Studious

Conservative

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Kara

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME KARA

Kara Zor-El was the real name of "Supergirl", first introduced in the comic book series published by DC Comics in May 1959. She was sent down to earth by her parents to be raised by her cousin Kal-El, known more commonly as Superman. Adopting the identity of an orphan, Supergirl would hide her blonde tresses under a brunette wig until transforming into her alter ego. She would go onto aid her cousin by his side in daring feats (even when sometimes she innocently got in his way). In the end, Supergirl saves Superman from a Kryptonite meteor, dying herself in 1985. Her iconic character’s popularity was hard to suppress, so Supergirl lives on today.

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME KARA

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Kara


Popular Songs

ON KARA

We cannot find any popular or well-known songs with the name of Kara


Famous People

NAMED KARA

Kara DioGuardi (songwriter/TV personality)
Kara Crane (actress)
Kara Kennedy (daughter of Ted Kennedy)
Kara Walker (artist)
Kara Tointon (English actress)

Children of Famous People

NAMED KARA

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Kara

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME KARA

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Kara