Kaara
A feminine name from Hindi meaning "dark beauty" or "black river".
Name Census estimates that about 12 living Americans carry the first name Kaara. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Kaara today is around 50 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kaara births was 1980 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kaara. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Kaara. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
12
~ 1 in 28,562,862 Americans
Peak year
1980
8 babies that year
Average age
50
years old
1980 SSA rank
#7,715
Tracked since 1964
Popularity
Kaara: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kaara from the 1960s through to the 1980s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 8 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kaara 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 Kaara 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 Kaara
The name Kaara is an ancient name with origins that can be traced back to the Sanskrit language of ancient India, where it was derived from the word "kara" meaning "ray of light." This name was popular among the Hindu communities of the Indian subcontinent and was often bestowed upon children in the hopes that they would bring brightness and joy into the lives of their families.
One of the earliest known references to the name Kaara can be found in the ancient Hindu scriptures, the Vedas, which date back to around 1500 BCE. In these sacred texts, the name is mentioned in connection with various deities and celestial beings, symbolizing the divine radiance and illumination that pervades the universe.
As the centuries passed, the name Kaara spread beyond the borders of India, carried by travelers, traders, and scholars who journeyed across the ancient world. It found its way into various cultures and languages, undergoing slight variations in spelling and pronunciation but retaining its core meaning and association with light and radiance.
Among the notable historical figures who bore the name Kaara was Kaara Devi, a renowned Hindu poetess and mystic who lived in the 8th century CE. Her devotional verses and spiritual teachings were highly revered and continue to inspire seekers of truth and enlightenment to this day.
In the 12th century, there was Kaara Chandra, a celebrated scholar and mathematician from the Indian subcontinent. His groundbreaking contributions to the field of algebra and his work on the concept of zero made a lasting impact on the development of mathematics.
Another figure of note was Kaara Bai, a 16th-century warrior-queen from the Rajput clan in northern India. Known for her bravery and leadership skills, she defended her kingdom against invading forces and became a symbol of courage and resilience.
In the realm of the arts, Kaara Bhavanam was a renowned South Indian classical dancer and choreographer who lived in the 18th century. Her innovative style and graceful movements captivated audiences across the region and helped to preserve and promote the rich cultural heritage of Indian dance forms.
Lastly, Kaara Patel was a prominent Indian freedom fighter and social reformer who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. She dedicated her life to the struggle for India's independence from British rule and worked tirelessly to uplift the marginalized communities of her time.
These are just a few examples of the many notable individuals throughout history who have borne the name Kaara, each leaving their mark on the world and contributing to the rich tapestry of human civilization.
People
Kaara + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kaara as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with K
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Kaara: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kaara?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 12 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kaara 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 28,562,862 US residents.
Is Kaara a common name?
We classify Kaara as "Very Rare". It ranks above 32.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 13 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kaara most popular?
The single biggest year for Kaara was 1980, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kaara is about 50 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Kaara in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kaara a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kaara 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.
Is Kaara still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kaara in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Kaara can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people share the name Kaara?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.