Cara vs Keela
Cara and Keelacompared 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 Keela #361 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Cara was ranked #52 and Keela #885 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Cara was ranked #454 and Keela #5891 among girls in England and Wales.
Cara and Keela over time
Cara and Keela appear together in 2 published lists, across 44 years of shared records. Cara held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Keela in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls26 shared years, 1998–2025
Cara held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Keela in 0.
Highest recorded here: Cara #27 in 2023, Keela #206 in 2008.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Cara #52, Keela #885.
England and Wales · Girls18 shared years, 2002–2024
Cara held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Keela in 0.
Highest recorded here: Cara #159 in 2003, Keela #2137 in 2006.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Cara #454, Keela #5891.
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 | Keela |
|---|---|---|
| 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, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #52 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #885 (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); Keela does not have one recorded yet.
- Cara and Keela both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Cara; Keela doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
- The available evidence gives Cara a "high" Data Confidence level and Keela 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
Keela
Popularity journey
First recorded1998
First recorded at #319 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1998 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1998–2025
Highest recorded position: #206 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2008 (recorded 1998–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #885 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls