Cara vs Selina
Cara and Selinacompared 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 2024, Cara was ranked #37 and Selina #898 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 1997, Cara was ranked #85 and Selina #358 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Cara was ranked #454 and Selina #696 among girls in England and Wales.
Cara and Selina over time
Cara and Selina appear together in 2 published lists, across 76 years of shared records. Cara held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Selina in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Selina 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.
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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Cara and Selina changed places 4 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1966 and 2024, ending at #37 and #898.
- Mirrored each other
Over 47 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Cara rose about as far as Selina fell — from #344 and #380 in 1966 to #37 and #898 in 2024.
- Longest-running competitions
Cara and Selina were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 47 years, from 1966 to 2024, ending at #37 and #898.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls47 shared years, 1966–2024
Cara held the stronger position in 38 of those years, Selina in 5.
Highest recorded here: Cara #27 in 2023, Selina #166 in 1985.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Cara #37, Selina #898.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Cara held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Selina in 0.
Highest recorded here: Cara #140 in 2001, Selina #248 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Cara #454, Selina #696.
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 | Selina |
|---|---|---|
| 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, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #52 (2025) | Norway · Girls #227 (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); Selina does not have one recorded yet.
- Cara has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Selina.
- A meaning is recorded for Cara; Selina 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 Selina 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
Selina
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 recorded1966–2024
Highest recorded position: #166 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1985 (recorded 1966–2024).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #227 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls