Cara vs Leanne
Cara and Leannecompared 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 2010, Cara was ranked #23 and Leanne #366 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2021, Cara was ranked #33 and Leanne #883 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Cara was ranked #454 and Leanne #2115 among girls in England and Wales.
Cara and Leanne over time
Cara and Leanne appear together in 3 published lists, across 89 years of shared records. Cara held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Leanne 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.
Leanne 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 2000, Cara moved ahead of Leanne in England and Wales · Girls — #163 and #144 the year before became #155 and #181.
- Mirrored each other
Over 48 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Cara rose about as far as Leanne fell — from #248 and #402 in 1973 to #33 and #883 in 2021.
- Longest-running competitions
Cara and Leanne were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 48 years, from 1973 to 2021, ending at #33 and #883.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1997 they stood at #85 and #93 in Northern Ireland · Girls, 8 places apart; by 2010 they were #23 and #366.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls48 shared years, 1973–2021
Cara held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Leanne in 25.
Highest recorded here: Cara #29 in 2018, Leanne #26 in 1990.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Cara #33, Leanne #883.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Cara held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Leanne in 4.
Highest recorded here: Cara #140 in 2001, Leanne #88 in 1996.
The order changed in 2000: Cara moved ahead. In 1999 they stood at #163 and #144; by 2000 that had become #155 and #181.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Cara #454, Leanne #2115.
Northern Ireland · Girls12 shared years, 1997–2010
Cara held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Leanne in 0.
Highest recorded here: Cara #19 in 2007, Leanne #84 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2010: Cara #23, Leanne #366.
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 | Leanne |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #52 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #2115 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| 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); Leanne does not have one recorded yet.
- Cara and Leanne both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Cara; Leanne 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 Leanne 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
Leanne
Popularity journey
First recorded1957
First recorded at #96 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1957 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1957–1986
Highest recorded position: #6 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1968 (recorded 1957–1986).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2115 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls