Caria
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly from an ancient place name.
Name Census estimates that about 193 living Americans carry the first name Caria. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Caria today is around 48 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Caria births was 1961 (11 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Caria. 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
193
~ 1 in 1,775,929 Americans
Peak year
1961
11 babies that year
Average age
48
years old
2022 SSA rank
#13,926
Tracked since 1955
Popularity
Caria: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Caria from the 1950s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 81 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Caria 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 Caria during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Caria
The name Caria has its origins in the ancient region of Caria, which was situated in the southwestern part of Anatolia, corresponding to the modern-day provinces of Muğla and Aydın in Turkey. The name is derived from the ancient Greek term "Kares," which was used to refer to the indigenous people of the region.
The region of Caria played a significant role in the ancient world, with its strategic location and rich cultural heritage. It was home to several important cities, including Halicarnassus, which was the birthplace of the famous historian Herodotus, and Miletus, a renowned center of philosophy and learning.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Caria can be found in the works of Herodotus, who extensively wrote about the region and its people in his famous work "The Histories." Additionally, the name appears in various ancient Greek texts and inscriptions, indicating its widespread use during that time period.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Caria. One of the earliest recorded examples is Caria of Anazarbus (3rd century CE), a Christian martyr who was executed during the persecutions of Emperor Diocletian. Another famous bearer of the name was Caria of Bithynia (4th century CE), a Christian saint and virgin martyr who was tortured and executed for her faith.
In the medieval period, Caria of Burgundy (1110-1193) was a noblewoman and heiress who played a significant role in the political affairs of the Duchy of Burgundy. Another notable figure was Caria of Constantinople (14th century), a Byzantine noblewoman and writer who authored several works on religious subjects.
Moving forward in history, Caria Mentoni (1846-1914) was an Italian painter and engraver who gained recognition for her portraits and religious paintings. She was born in Rome and studied at the Accademia di San Luca.
While the name Caria may not be as commonly used today, it has a rich historical legacy that spans centuries and cultures, from ancient Greece to the Byzantine Empire and beyond.
People
Caria + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Caria 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
Caria: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Caria?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 193 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Caria 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 1,775,929 US residents.
Is Caria a common name?
We classify Caria as "Very Rare". It ranks above 73.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 221 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Caria most popular?
The single biggest year for Caria was 1961, when 11 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Caria is about 48 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Caria a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Caria 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.