Cara vs India
Cara and Indiacompared 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 2018, Cara was ranked #28 and India #361 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Cara was ranked #37 and India #898 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Cara was ranked #196 and India #790 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Cara was ranked #454 and India #429 among girls in England and Wales.
Cara and India over time
Cara and India appear together in 3 published lists, across 70 years of shared records. Cara held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, India in 1.
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.
India 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 2010, India moved ahead of Cara in England and Wales · Girls — #199 and #226 the year before became #243 and #145.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Cara and India averaged 58.1 places apart, ending at #454 and #429.
- Mirrored each other
Over 24 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Cara rose about as far as India fell — from #193 and #448 in 1993 to #37 and #898 in 2024.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Cara #140 in 2001, India #113 in 1999.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Cara held the stronger position in 4 of those years, India in 25.
Highest recorded here: Cara #140 in 2001, India #113 in 1999.
The order changed in 2010: India moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #199 and #226; by 2010 that had become #243 and #145.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Cara #454, India #429.
Republic of Ireland · Girls24 shared years, 1993–2024
Cara held the stronger position in 24 of those years, India in 0.
Highest recorded here: Cara #29 in 2018, India #307 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Cara #37, India #898.
Northern Ireland · Girls17 shared years, 1997–2018
Cara held the stronger position in 17 of those years, India in 0.
Highest recorded here: Cara #19 in 2007, India #181 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2018: Cara #28, India #361.
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 | India |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #52 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #429 (2024) |
| 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); India does not have one recorded yet.
- Cara and India both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Cara; India 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 India 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 #52 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
India
Popularity journey
First recorded1993
First recorded at #448 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1993 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #113 among girls in England and Wales, in 1999 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #429 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls