Cara vs Laura
Cara and Lauracompared 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 2024, Cara was ranked #33 and Laura #253 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Cara was ranked #52 and Laura #112 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Cara was ranked #196 and Laura #351 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Cara was ranked #454 and Laura #258 among girls in England and Wales.
Cara and Laura over time
Cara and Laura appear together in 3 published lists, across 117 years of shared records. Laura held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Cara 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.
Laura 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 took the other's place near the top
In Northern Ireland · Girls, Cara moved into the top 50 at #35 in 2003 as Laura fell out of it to #51, having been #26 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2003, Cara moved ahead of Laura in Northern Ireland · Girls — #34 and #26 the year before became #35 and #51.
- Longest-running competitions
Cara and Laura were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 60 years, from 1966 to 2025, ending at #52 and #112.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls60 shared years, 1966–2025
Cara held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Laura in 48.
Highest recorded here: Cara #27 in 2023, Laura #2 in 1985.
The order changed in 2014: Cara moved ahead. In 2013 they stood at #40 and #39; by 2014 that had become #35 and #49.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Cara #52, Laura #112.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Cara held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Laura in 29.
Highest recorded here: Cara #140 in 2001, Laura #17 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Cara #454, Laura #258.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Cara held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Laura in 6.
Highest recorded here: Cara #19 in 2007, Laura #13 in 1997.
The order changed in 2003: Cara moved ahead. In 2002 they stood at #34 and #26; by 2003 that had become #35 and #51.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Cara #33, Laura #253.
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 | Laura |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| 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. | From Latin 'laurus' meaning 'laurel' — laurel wreaths honoured victors in ancient Rome. Also the subject of 14th-century Italian poet Petrarch's poems. |
| Origin | Disputed — possibly Italian, possibly Irish | Latin |
| Pronunciation | /ˈkɑɹ.ə/ | /ˈlɔɹ.ə/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Caragh | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #52 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #112 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| 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 is recorded with a Disputed — possibly Italian, possibly Irish origin, while Laura is recorded with a Latin origin.
- Cara and Laura both have 2 syllables.
- Cara's recorded meaning differs from Laura's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
- The available evidence gives Cara a "high" Data Confidence level and Laura 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
Laura
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #313 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #2 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1985 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #141 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls