NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Kara

Of Turkish origin meaning "black", "dark-colored" or "pure".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Kara is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Kara popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #885, with 41 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2011, with 275 births.

This profile covers 4,066 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 15% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 5,909 living people in the UK are called Kara. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Kara ranked #885 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 41 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2011, when 275 girls were registered as Kara.
  • Kara ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #391 in 2023.
  • About 5,909 living people in the UK are estimated to have Kara as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#885

2024

Births in 2024

41

Latest year

Peak year

2011

275 births

Estimated living

5,909

2026

Meaning

What does Kara mean?

The name Kara has its origins in various languages and cultures around the world. In Turkish, it means "black" or "dark-colored" and is derived from the Turkish word "kara." It has been a popular name in Turkey for centuries.

In Sanskrit, the name Kara means "rays of light" or "sun rays." It is also a variant of the name Kiran, which has a similar meaning. The name has been used in India since ancient times and is found in Hindu scriptures and texts.

In Greek, the name Kara is a variant of the name Chara, which means "joy" or "delight." It has been used in Greece since antiquity and has been passed down through generations.

In Armenian, the name Kara means "beloved" or "dear one." It has been a popular name among Armenians for many centuries and is found in various historical records and documents.

One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Kara was in ancient Greece. Kara was the name of a female warrior who fought alongside the Amazons, as mentioned in Greek mythology.

In the 6th century, a Frankish queen named Kara was married to Clotaire I, the king of the Franks. She played a significant role in the political affairs of the Merovingian dynasty.

During the Middle Ages, Kara was the name of a Russian princess who lived in the 12th century. She was known for her beauty and intelligence and was married to a prominent nobleman.

In the 16th century, Kara Mustafa was a notable Ottoman grand vizier who served under Sultan Mehmed IV. He was known for his military campaigns and political strategies.

In the 19th century, Kara Karalina was a Bulgarian revolutionary and feminist who fought for women's rights and Bulgarian independence. She was a prominent figure in the Bulgarian National Revival movement.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Kara over time

The chart below shows babies named Kara registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Kara, the clearest high point is 2011. The latest England and Wales figure is 41 births in 2024, compared with 275 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Kara
069138206275199620102024

Decades

Kara by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Kara was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #742 267 5
2010s #335 1,523 10
2000s #273 1,668 10
1990s #254 608 4

Geography

Where Kara is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Kara. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Kara ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #391 in 2023.

Scotland
6
Northern Ireland
3

Across the UK

Kara in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#476 in 2024

50 years of NRS records, 1,606 total registered

Northern Ireland (NISRA)

#391 in 2023

26 years of NISRA records, 275 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Kara

  • Kara Lewis

    association football player

    British Virgin Islands footballer

    2004-

  • Kara Fordjour

    association football player

    English footballer

    2000-

  • Kara E. Ranaghan

    chemist

    British chemist

    2000-

  • Kara Charlotte McCormick

    basketball player

    Scottish basketball player (born 1998)

    1998-

  • Kara Tointon

    actor; film actor

    English actress

    1983-

  • Kara Scott

    Thai boxer; television presenter; journalist; poker player

    Canadian-British poker player and TV presenter

    1975-

  • Kara Chesworth

    sport cyclist

    racing cyclist

    1972-

  • Kara Turner

    writer; editor

    Canadian writer

    1971-

Related

Names similar to Kara

FAQ

Kara: questions and answers

How popular is the name Kara in the UK right now?

In 2024, Kara was ranked #885 for girls in England and Wales, with 41 births registered.

When was Kara most popular?

The peak year on record was 2011, with 275 babies registered as Kara in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Kara?

Of Turkish origin meaning "black", "dark-colored" or "pure".

How many people are called Kara in the UK?

A total of 4,066 babies have been registered as Kara across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 1,606 more in Scotland and 275 in Northern Ireland.

Where is Kara most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Kara ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #391 in 2023. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.