Carah
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly relating to the English word "cara" meaning "dear".
Name Census estimates that about 850 living Americans carry the first name Carah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Carah today is around 27 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Carah births was 2000 (39 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Carah. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
850
~ 1 in 403,240 Americans
Peak year
2000
39 babies that year
Average age
27
years old
2020 SSA rank
#15,571
Tracked since 1969
Popularity
Carah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Carah from the 1960s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 261 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Carah by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Carah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Carahs live
Origin
Meaning and history of Carah
The name Carah originated from the Hebrew language and culture, emerging during the ancient times of the Old Testament period. It is derived from the Hebrew word "qara," which means "to call" or "to summon." The name Carah was primarily used within the Jewish community, often carrying a spiritual connotation.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Carah can be found in the Book of Genesis, where it is mentioned as the name of Abraham's concubine, who bore him a son named Ishmael. This biblical reference dates back to around the 18th century BCE, indicating the antiquity of the name's usage.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Carah. One such figure was Carah bat Nachshon, a prominent Jewish scholar and teacher who lived in the 2nd century CE. She was renowned for her extensive knowledge of Jewish law and her contributions to the study of the Talmud.
Another historical figure with the name Carah was Carah bat Beruria, a 2nd-century CE Jewish woman celebrated for her wisdom and keen intellect. She was the daughter of the renowned scholar Rabbi Meir and is mentioned in the Talmud for her insightful teachings and her role in preserving Jewish traditions.
In the 10th century CE, Carah bat Yitzhak was a notable Jewish poet and scholar from Speyer, Germany. Her poetic works, which often explored themes of faith and spirituality, were highly regarded during her time and have been preserved in various anthologies.
During the 12th century, Carah bat Meshullam was a distinguished Jewish scholar and writer from Provence, France. She was recognized for her expertise in biblical exegesis and her contributions to the study of Jewish mysticism, particularly within the Kabbalistic tradition.
In the 16th century, Carah Shamah was a prominent Jewish businesswoman and philanthropist from Istanbul, Ottoman Empire. She played a significant role in supporting the local Jewish community and was renowned for her generosity and commitment to charitable causes.
These are just a few examples of the notable individuals throughout history who bore the name Carah, showcasing its rich cultural heritage and the diverse contexts in which it was used across different eras and regions.
People
Carah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Carah as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Carah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Carah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 850 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Carah going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 403,240 US residents.
Is Carah a common name?
We classify Carah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 876 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Carah most popular?
The single biggest year for Carah was 2000, when 39 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Carah is about 27 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Carah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Carah in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.