Cara vs Demelza
Cara and Demelzacompared 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.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 1981, Cara was ranked #251 and Demelza #471 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Cara was ranked #468 and Demelza #2605 among girls in England and Wales.
Cara and Demelza over time
Cara and Demelza appear together in 1 published list, across 29 years of shared records. Cara held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Demelza 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 Demelza 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 England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Cara #140 in 2001, Demelza #1658 in 2002.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2025
Cara held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Demelza in 0.
Highest recorded here: Cara #140 in 2001, Demelza #1658 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Cara #468, Demelza #2605.
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.
Where to go next
Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.
Other comparisons involving Cara
Pairs where Cara shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.
- Ashleigh vs Cara
In 1997 they stood at #87 and #85 in Northern Ireland · Girls, 2 places apart; by 2016 they were #440 and #23.
Ashleigh · Cara · 16 shared years, 1997–2016 · Started together, ended far apart
- Jodie vs Cara
In 1997 they stood at #77 and #85 in Northern Ireland · Girls, 8 places apart; by 2021 they were #446 and #36.
Jodie · Cara · 23 shared years, 1997–2021 · Started together, ended far apart
- Kerry vs Cara
In 1997 they stood at #83 and #85 in Northern Ireland · Girls, 2 places apart; by 2020 they were #397 and #31.
Kerry · Cara · 18 shared years, 1997–2020 · Started together, ended far apart
- Leanne vs Cara
In 1997 they stood at #93 and #85 in Northern Ireland · Girls, 8 places apart; by 2010 they were #366 and #23.
Leanne · Cara · 12 shared years, 1997–2010 · Started together, ended far apart
Side by side
| Field | Cara | Demelza |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Genuinely dual-sourced: an Italian word meaning 'beloved', or independently an Irish word meaning 'friend' — Behind the Name records both without resolving between them. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Disputed — possibly Italian, possibly Irish | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈkɑɹ.ə/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Caragh | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | GB-ENW, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #52 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #2605 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Cara has a recorded origin (Disputed — possibly Italian, possibly Irish); Demelza does not have one recorded yet.
- Cara has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Demelza.
- A meaning is recorded for Cara; Demelza doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
- The available evidence gives Cara a "high" Data Confidence level and Demelza a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
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 #468 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Demelza
Popularity journey
First recorded1976
First recorded at #260 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1976 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1976–1981
Highest recorded position: #260 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1976 (recorded 1976–1981).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #2605 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls