Cadhla vs Cara
Cadhla 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 2024, Cadhla was ranked #80 and Cara #33 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Cadhla was ranked #89 and Cara #52 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Cadhla was ranked #3695 and Cara #454 among girls in England and Wales.
Cadhla and Cara over time
Cadhla and Cara appear together in 2 published lists, across 49 years of shared records. Cara held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Cadhla in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Cara reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Cadhla 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.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Cadhla #87 in 2023, Cara #27 in 2023.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls27 shared years, 1994–2025
Cadhla held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Cara in 27.
Highest recorded here: Cadhla #87 in 2023, Cara #27 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Cadhla #89, Cara #52.
Northern Ireland · Girls22 shared years, 2003–2024
Cadhla held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Cara in 22.
Highest recorded here: Cadhla #53 in 2023, Cara #19 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Cadhla #80, Cara #33.
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 | Cadhla | 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 | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #89 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #52 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 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); Cadhla does not have one recorded yet.
- Cadhla and Cara both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Cara; Cadhla doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
- The available evidence gives Cadhla 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
Cadhla
Popularity journey
First recorded1994
First recorded at #502 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1994 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded2003–2024
Highest recorded position: #53 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2023 (recorded 2003–2024).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #89 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · 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