Karra
A feminine name of Persian origin meaning "fortunate" or "blessed".
Name Census estimates that about 1,007 living Americans carry the first name Karra. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Karra today is around 32 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Karra births was 1989 (40 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Karra. 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
1.0K
~ 1 in 340,372 Americans
Peak year
1989
40 babies that year
Average age
32
years old
2023 SSA rank
#16,338
Tracked since 1956
Popularity
Karra: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Karra from the 1950s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 288 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Karra 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 Karra during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Karras live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. Texas, Oklahoma, California recorded the most babies named Karra, while Ohio, Michigan, Illinois recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 6 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Karra
The name Karra has its origins in ancient Sanskrit, one of the oldest Indo-European languages that can be traced back to around 1500 BCE. It is believed to have been derived from the Sanskrit word "kara," which means "hand" or "ray." This suggests that the name may have been associated with concepts of strength, dexterity, or radiance.
In Hindu mythology, there are references to Karra as one of the names of Lord Shiva, the supreme deity and the destroyer of evil. The name is mentioned in the sacred Hindu texts, the Vedas, and the Puranas, where it is used as an epithet to describe Lord Shiva's divine powers and attributes.
The earliest known historical figure with the name Karra was a prominent Indian philosopher and scholar who lived in the 6th century CE. He was known as Karra Narayana, and he made significant contributions to the study of logic and epistemology. His treatises on the subject are still studied and revered in academic circles today.
Another notable individual with the name Karra was Karra Vasudeva, a celebrated poet and playwright from the 12th century CE. He is best known for his works in the Telugu language, including the play "Nala Charitram," which is based on the epic Mahabharata. His writings are considered masterpieces of Telugu literature.
In more recent history, Karra Muthiah Bhagavathar was a renowned Indian musician and composer who lived during the 18th century. He was a pioneer in the field of Carnatic music and is credited with introducing several innovative techniques and compositions that have influenced generations of musicians.
Karra Singh, a prominent Sikh warrior and military leader, played a crucial role in the defense of the Sikh Empire against the British East India Company in the early 19th century. He is remembered for his bravery and strategic brilliance in numerous battles.
Lastly, Karra Balachander was an Indian film director, screenwriter, and actor who made significant contributions to the Tamil cinema industry in the 20th century. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential filmmakers in the history of Indian cinema, known for his realistic and thought-provoking works that tackled social issues.
People
Karra + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Karra 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
Karra: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Karra?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,007 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Karra 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 340,372 US residents.
Is Karra a common name?
We classify Karra as "Rare". It ranks above 90.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,054 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Karra most popular?
The single biggest year for Karra was 1989, when 40 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Karra is about 32 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Karra a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Karra 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.