Cara vs Rachel
Cara and Rachelcompared 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 2023, Cara was ranked #28 and Rachel #142 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Cara was ranked #52 and Rachel #186 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Cara was ranked #196 and Rachel #431 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Cara was ranked #468 and Rachel #394 among girls in England and Wales.
Cara and Rachel over time
Cara and Rachel appear together in 3 published lists, across 117 years of shared records. Rachel 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.
Rachel 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 2006, Cara moved ahead of Rachel in Northern Ireland · Girls — #25 and #15 the year before became #24 and #27.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 27 shared years in Northern Ireland · Girls, Cara and Rachel averaged 52.9 places apart, ending at #28 and #142.
- Mirrored each other
Over 60 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Cara rose about as far as Rachel fell — from #344 and #123 in 1966 to #52 and #186 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Cara and Rachel were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #468 and #394.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls60 shared years, 1966–2025
Cara held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Rachel in 47.
Highest recorded here: Cara #27 in 2023, Rachel #6 in 1997.
The order changed in 2013: Cara moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #48 and #40; by 2013 that had become #40 and #43.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Cara #52, Rachel #186.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Cara held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Rachel in 23.
Highest recorded here: Cara #140 in 2001, Rachel #27 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Cara #468, Rachel #394.
Northern Ireland · Girls27 shared years, 1997–2023
Cara held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Rachel in 9.
Highest recorded here: Cara #19 in 2007, Rachel #7 in 2003.
The order changed in 2006: Cara moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #25 and #15; by 2006 that had become #24 and #27.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Cara #28, Rachel #142.
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 | Rachel |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Commonly interpreted as 'ewe' (female sheep), the biblical wife of Jacob and mother of Joseph and Benjamin. |
| Origin | Disputed — possibly Italian, possibly Irish | Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Rhakhel |
| Pronunciation | /ˈkɑɹ.ə/ | /ˈreɪtʃəl/ |
| 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 #186 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| 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 is recorded with a Disputed — possibly Italian, possibly Irish origin, while Rachel is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Rhakhel origin.
- Cara and Rachel both have 2 syllables.
- Cara's recorded meaning differs from Rachel'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 Rachel 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
Rachel
Popularity journey
First recorded1951
First recorded at #379 among girls in Norway in 1951 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1965–2006
Highest recorded position: #3 among girls in New Zealand, in 1971 (recorded 1965–2006).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #394 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls