Cara vs Sadhbh
Cara and Sadhbhcompared 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.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Cara was ranked #52 and Sadhbh #32 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Cara was ranked #33 and Sadhbh #253 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Cara was ranked #454 and Sadhbh #3318 among girls in England and Wales.
Cara and Sadhbh over time
Cara and Sadhbh appear together in 3 published lists, across 82 years of shared records. Cara held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Sadhbh in 0.
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.
Cara reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Sadhbh in 1. 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 Republic of Ireland · Girls, Sadhbh moved into the top 50 at #32 in 2025 as Cara fell out of it to #52, having been #37 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2025, Sadhbh moved ahead of Cara in Republic of Ireland · Girls — #37 and #38 the year before became #52 and #32.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Cara and Sadhbh changed places 11 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1971 and 2025, ending at #52 and #32.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 50 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Cara and Sadhbh averaged 56.1 places apart, ending at #52 and #32.
- Longest-running competitions
Cara and Sadhbh were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 50 years, from 1971 to 2025, ending at #52 and #32.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Cara #27 in 2023, Sadhbh #32 in 2022.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls50 shared years, 1971–2025
Cara held the stronger position in 40 of those years, Sadhbh in 10.
Highest recorded here: Cara #27 in 2023, Sadhbh #32 in 2022.
The order changed in 2025: Sadhbh moved ahead. In 2024 they stood at #37 and #38; by 2025 that had become #52 and #32.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Cara #52, Sadhbh #32.
England and Wales · Girls16 shared years, 2001–2024
Cara held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Sadhbh in 0.
Highest recorded here: Cara #140 in 2001, Sadhbh #2615 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Cara #454, Sadhbh #3318.
Northern Ireland · Girls16 shared years, 2006–2024
Cara held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Sadhbh in 0.
Highest recorded here: Cara #20 in 2015, Sadhbh #237 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Cara #33, Sadhbh #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 | Sadhbh |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 1 |
| 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 #32 (2025) |
| 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); Sadhbh does not have one recorded yet.
- Cara has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Sadhbh.
- A meaning is recorded for Cara; Sadhbh 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 Sadhbh 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
Sadhbh
Popularity journey
First recorded1971
First recorded at #466 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1971 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1971–2025
Highest recorded position: #32 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2022 (recorded 1971–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #32 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls