Cara vs Hanna
Cara and Hannacompared 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 2023, Cara was ranked #28 and Hanna #302 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Cara was ranked #52 and Hanna #273 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Cara was ranked #196 and Hanna #244 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Cara was ranked #468 and Hanna #352 among girls in England and Wales.
Cara and Hanna over time
Cara and Hanna appear together in 3 published lists, across 99 years of shared records. Cara held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Hanna in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 2 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, Hanna 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Cara and Hanna were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #468 and #352.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls48 shared years, 1966–2025
Cara held the stronger position in 45 of those years, Hanna in 3.
Highest recorded here: Cara #27 in 2023, Hanna #86 in 2013.
The order changed in 1969: Cara moved ahead. In 1968 they stood at #357 and #270; by 1969 that had become #303 and #443.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Cara #52, Hanna #273.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Cara held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Hanna in 16.
Highest recorded here: Cara #140 in 2001, Hanna #141 in 2016.
The order changed in 2010: Hanna moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #199 and #260; by 2010 that had become #243 and #241.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Cara #468, Hanna #352.
Northern Ireland · Girls21 shared years, 1999–2023
Cara held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Hanna in 0.
Highest recorded here: Cara #19 in 2007, Hanna #124 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Cara #28, Hanna #302.
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 | Cara | Hanna |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Caragh | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #52 (2025) | Norway · Girls #53 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Cara has a recorded origin (Disputed — possibly Italian, possibly Irish); Hanna does not have one recorded yet.
- Cara and Hanna both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Cara; Hanna doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
- The available evidence gives Cara a "high" Data Confidence level and Hanna 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
Hanna
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #164 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #22 among girls in Norway, in 2004 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #352 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls