Ashleigh vs Cara
Ashleigh 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.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2016, Ashleigh was ranked #440 and Cara #23 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2021, Ashleigh was ranked #764 and Cara #33 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Ashleigh was ranked #1819 and Cara #454 among girls in England and Wales.
Ashleigh and Cara over time
Ashleigh and Cara appear together in 3 published lists, across 82 years of shared records. Cara held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Ashleigh in 0.
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.
Ashleigh reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Cara in none. 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 2008, Cara moved ahead of Ashleigh in England and Wales · Girls — #174 and #196 the year before became #223 and #199.
- Mirrored each other
Over 37 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Cara rose about as far as Ashleigh fell — from #417 and #289 in 1971 to #764 and #33 in 2021.
- Longest-running competitions
Ashleigh and Cara were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 37 years, from 1971 to 2021, ending at #764 and #33.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1997 they stood at #87 and #85 in Northern Ireland · Girls, 2 places apart; by 2016 they were #440 and #23.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls37 shared years, 1971–2021
Ashleigh held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Cara in 33.
Highest recorded here: Ashleigh #162 in 1995, Cara #33 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Ashleigh #764, Cara #33.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ashleigh held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Cara in 17.
Highest recorded here: Ashleigh #58 in 1996, Cara #140 in 2001.
The order changed in 2008: Cara moved ahead. In 2007 they stood at #174 and #196; by 2008 that had become #223 and #199.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ashleigh #1819, Cara #454.
Northern Ireland · Girls16 shared years, 1997–2016
Ashleigh held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Cara in 16.
Highest recorded here: Ashleigh #87 in 1997, Cara #23 in 2009.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2016: Ashleigh #440, Cara #23.
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 | Ashleigh | Cara |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | 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 | Not yet recorded | Disputed — possibly Italian, possibly Irish |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈkɑɹ.ə/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Caragh |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #1819 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #52 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 53/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- Cara has a recorded origin (Disputed — possibly Italian, possibly Irish); Ashleigh does not have one recorded yet.
- Ashleigh and Cara both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Cara; Ashleigh doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
- The available evidence gives Ashleigh a "medium" Data Confidence level and Cara a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Ashleigh
Popularity journey
First recorded1971
First recorded at #417 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1971 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1986–2005
Highest recorded position: #8 among girls in New Zealand, in 1992 (recorded 1986–2005).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1819 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · 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