Cara is the Italian word for "beloved" or "dear" and at the same time the Irish word for "friend", so it carries warmth in both languages. It was a steady American choice from the 1970s through the 1990s, often alongside Kara and Tara. Cara stood at number 393 in 2000, slipped out of the top 1000 in 2019 and ranks number 1326 in 2025.