Cara vs Letitia
Cara and Letitiacompared 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 2008, Cara was ranked #25 and Letitia #370 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2012, Cara was ranked #48 and Letitia #907 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2023, Cara was ranked #444 and Letitia #5687 among girls in England and Wales.
Cara and Letitia over time
Cara and Letitia appear together in 2 published lists, across 40 years of shared records. Cara held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Letitia in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Letitia reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 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.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls25 shared years, 1996–2023
Cara held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Letitia in 0.
Highest recorded here: Cara #140 in 2001, Letitia #562 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Cara #444, Letitia #5687.
Republic of Ireland · Girls15 shared years, 1966–2012
Cara held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Letitia in 1.
Highest recorded here: Cara #48 in 2012, Letitia #354 in 1967.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2012: Cara #48, Letitia #907.
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 | Letitia |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 3 |
| 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) | England and Wales · Girls #5687 (2023) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 82/100 |
| 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); Letitia does not have one recorded yet.
- Cara has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Letitia.
- A meaning is recorded for Cara; Letitia 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 Letitia 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
Letitia
Popularity journey
First recorded1966
First recorded at #380 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 recorded2003–2008
Highest recorded position: #284 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2003 (recorded 2003–2008).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2023
Most recently recorded at #5687 among girls in England and Wales, in 2023.
England and Wales · Girls