UK girl's name
Khara
An Indian feminine name meaning "barren, sterile, desolate".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2012. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Khara is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Khara popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2012 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5876, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2002, with 4 births.
This profile covers 13 England and Wales registrations across 4 recorded years from 1999 to 2012. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, 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 75% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 13 living people in the UK are called Khara. 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 2013 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Khara ranked #5876 for girls in England and Wales in 2012, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2002, when 4 girls were registered as Khara.
- • About 13 living people in the UK are estimated to have Khara as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5876
2012
Births in 2012
3
Latest year
Peak year
2002
4 births
Estimated living
13
2026
Meaning
What does Khara mean?
The given name Khara has its origins in the Sanskrit language, which was predominantly spoken in ancient India. The name can be traced back to the Vedic period, around 1500-500 BCE, and is believed to be derived from the Sanskrit word "khara," which means "harsh" or "severe."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Khara appears in the epic Hindu text, the Ramayana, dating back to the 7th or 8th century BCE. In this ancient Sanskrit poem, Khara is the name of a fearsome rakshasa (demon) who was the younger brother of Ravana, the main antagonist. He was known for his fierce and cruel nature, which aligns with the meaning of the name.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Khara. One of the earliest recorded was Khara Belvalkar (1925-1998), an Indian Sanskrit scholar and Indologist who made significant contributions to the study of ancient Indian literature and philosophy.
Another prominent figure with this name was Khara Khema (1924-2013), a renowned Cambodian Buddhist monk and scholar who played a crucial role in preserving Khmer culture and Buddhist teachings during the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia.
In the field of literature, Khara Banerjee (1809-1859) was a Bengali writer and social reformer who wrote extensively on the condition of women in 19th-century Bengal and advocated for their education and empowerment.
Khara Vavhan (1479-1565) was a prominent Marathi poet and saint from the Bhakti movement in India, renowned for his devotional poetry and his efforts to promote social equality and religious harmony.
Additionally, Khara Ghose (1851-1920) was an influential Indian journalist and social reformer who advocated for women's rights and played a significant role in the Bengal Renaissance movement of the 19th century.
While the name Khara may have derived from a meaning associated with harshness or severity, its historical usage and the lives of those who bore it demonstrate a diverse range of contributions across various fields, including literature, scholarship, religion, and social reform.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Khara over time
The chart below shows babies named Khara registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1999 to 2012. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Khara, the clearest high point is 2002. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2012, compared with 4 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Khara by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Khara 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | #5876 | 3 | 1 |
| 2000s | #4477 | 7 | 2 |
| 1990s | #3900 | 3 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Khara
- Katie 53,185
- Keira 14,411
- Katherine 11,323
- Kayleigh 10,677
- Kate 10,276
- Kelsey 7,224
- Kiera 7,218
- Kayla 6,541
- Kirsty 6,384
- Khadija 5,948
- Kimberley 5,189
- Kaitlyn 5,137
FAQ
Khara: questions and answers
How popular is the name Khara in the UK right now?
In 2012, Khara was ranked #5876 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Khara most popular?
The peak year on record was 2002, with 4 babies registered as Khara in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Khara?
An Indian feminine name meaning "barren, sterile, desolate".
How many people are called Khara in the UK?
A total of 13 babies have been registered as Khara across the 4 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
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.