Namewise

Cara vs Ffion

Cara and Ffioncompared 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, Cara was ranked #454 and Ffion #467 among girls in England and Wales.

Cara and Ffion over time

Cara and Ffion appear together in 1 published list, across 29 years of shared records. Cara held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Ffion in 0.

In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.

Ffion reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 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.

  • Repeatedly exchanged positions

    Cara and Ffion changed places 10 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #454 and #467.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Cara and Ffion averaged 26.8 places apart, ending at #454 and #467.

List by list

  • England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 19962024

    Cara held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Ffion in 11.

    Highest recorded here: Cara #140 in 2001, Ffion #148 in 1998.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Cara #454, Ffion #467.

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

Side-by-side comparison of Cara, Ffion
FieldCaraFfion
Record typeEditorially researched profileOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usagefemalefemale
MeaningGenuinely 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
OriginDisputed — possibly Italian, possibly IrishNot yet recorded
Pronunciation/ˈkɑɹ.ə/Not yet recorded
Syllables21
Common variants / nicknamesCaraghNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageGB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IEGB-ENW
Most recent popularity observationRepublic of Ireland · Girls #52 (2025)England and Wales · Girls #467 (2024)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/100Not yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)95/10094/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/10040/100
Data Confidencehighmedium

What the data shows

  • Cara has a recorded origin (Disputed — possibly Italian, possibly Irish); Ffion does not have one recorded yet.
  • Cara has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Ffion.
  • A meaning is recorded for Cara; Ffion doesn't have one written yet.
  • Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW.
  • The available evidence gives Cara a "high" Data Confidence level and Ffion 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

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1997–2024

    Highest recorded position: #19 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2007 (recorded 1997–2024).

    Northern Ireland · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #52 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.

    Republic of Ireland · Girls

Ffion

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1996

    First recorded at #209 among girls in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    England and Wales · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1996–2024

    Highest recorded position: #148 among girls in England and Wales, in 1998 (recorded 1996–2024).

    England and Wales · Girls

  3. Most recent2024

    Most recently recorded at #467 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.

    England and Wales · Girls