Cara

Cara is the Latin and Italian word for “dear” as in “cherished, beloved” but it is also the Irish-Gaelic word for “friend”. With a name like Cara you get two lovely etymologies for the price of one! And if that’s not enough, “cara” is the Spanish word for “face”. Despite her many potential meanings, from a historic perspective, parents have used Cara with the Latin definition in mind to demonstrate their love for their “beloved” baby girls. The name dates back to the late 19th century but did not gain any significant popularity within the English speaking world until the 1950s. In Gaelic-influenced countries, Cara is quite popular and therefore most likely used with the definition of “friend” in mind. It’s a Top 25 favorite girls name in Ireland right now, and it’s almost a Top 50 in both Scotland and Northern Ireland. Cara is much less popular within other English-speaking nations today. In other languages, the Latin-influenced “cara” for “dear, beloved” is rendered as: kære (Danish), kjære (Norwegian), kära (Swedish), chère (French) and caro (Portuguese). Interesting to note the similarities. Outside of being the Spanish “face” of a “beloved” Latin “Irish friend”, Cara is also sometimes considered a pet form of other “Car-“ names: Carolina, Carina and Carissa, for instance.