Amelia vs Cara
Amelia and Caracompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Amelia was ranked #2 and Cara #454 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Amelia was ranked #7 and Cara #196 among girls in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Amelia was ranked #12 and Cara #52 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Amelia was ranked #14 and Cara #33 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Amelia and Cara over time
Amelia and Cara appear together in 4 published lists, across 146 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Cara reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Amelia in 1. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2012, Amelia moved ahead of Cara in Northern Ireland · Girls — #33 and #23 the year before became #4 and #23.
- Longest-running competitions
Amelia and Cara were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 44 years, from 1996 to 2024, ending at #2 and #454.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Scotland · Girls within 2 years — Amelia #7 in 2024, Cara #196 in 2024.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls54 shared years, 1968–2025
Amelia held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Cara in 34.
Highest recorded here: Amelia #3 in 2017, Cara #27 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Amelia #12, Cara #52.
England and Wales · Girls44 shared years, 1996–2024
Amelia held the stronger position in 44 of those years, Cara in 0.
Highest recorded here: Amelia #1 in 2011, Cara #140 in 2001.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Amelia #2, Cara #454.
Northern Ireland · Girls27 shared years, 1997–2024
Amelia held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Cara in 14.
Highest recorded here: Amelia #4 in 2012, Cara #19 in 2007.
The order changed in 2012: Amelia moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #33 and #23; by 2012 that had become #4 and #23.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Amelia #14, Cara #33.
Scotland · Girls21 shared years, 2024–2024
Amelia held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Cara in 0.
Highest recorded here: Amelia #7 in 2024, Cara #196 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Amelia #7, Cara #196.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Amelia | Cara |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'work' or 'industrious', with usage strongly influenced by the separate Roman name Aemilia. | Genuinely dual-sourced: an Italian word meaning 'beloved', or independently an Irish word meaning 'friend' — Behind the Name records both without resolving between them. |
| Origin | Latin (influence) | Disputed — possibly Italian, possibly Irish |
| Pronunciation | /əˈmiːliə/ | /ˈkɑɹ.ə/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Amelie, Amalia, Amy, Mia | Caragh |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | United Kingdom #1 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #52 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | high |
What the data shows
- Amelia is recorded with a Latin (influence) origin, while Cara is recorded with a Disputed — possibly Italian, possibly Irish origin.
- Amelia has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Cara.
- Amelia's recorded meaning differs from Cara's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Amelia
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #300 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in England and Wales, in 2011 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #2 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Cara
Popularity journey
First recorded1966
First recorded at #344 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1966 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #19 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2007 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #52 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls