Explore the Family Name Cara
The meaning of Cara
1. Spanish, Catalan, and Italian (mainly Sardinia): from cara ‘face’, presumably applied as a nickname for someone with a beautiful or otherwise distinctive face. 2. Italian (southern): from the feminine form of caro ‘dear’ (see Caro). 3. Albanian: from Carë (definite form Cara), an old vernacular short form of the Albanian Muslim personal name Xhafer, an equivalent of Jafar. Some characteristic forenames: Italian Rocco, Gino. Spanish Jose, Ana, Carlos, Demetrio, Efren, Luis.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Cara in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Cara saw a decrease in popularity from 2000 to 2010. Ranked 26,419th in 2000, it fell to 33,036th in 2010, marking a drop of 25.05%. The count of people with this surname also declined during this period, going from 869 to 693, indicating a 20.25% reduction. Additionally, the proportion of people with this surname per 100,000 decreased by 28.12%, going from 0.32 in 2000 to 0.23 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #26,419 | #33,036 | -25.05% |
| Count | 869 | 693 | -20.25% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.32 | 0.23 | -28.12% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Cara
When it comes to ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals some shifts among those with the Cara surname between 2000 and 2010. The percentage of Asian/Pacific Islanders increased significantly by nearly 64%, from 7.83% to 12.84%. The Hispanic population also rose by 15.85%, from 19.68% in 2000 to 22.8% in 2010. Conversely, there was a substantial decline in the Black population, which plummeted by approximately 78%, from 8.52% to 1.88%. However, the white population remained relatively stable, experiencing a slight dip of 1.2%, from 62.37% to 61.62%. Data for those identifying as two or more races or as American Indian and Alaskan Native was suppressed for privacy reasons.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 62.37% | 61.62% | -1.2% |
| Hispanic | 19.68% | 22.8% | 15.85% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 7.83% | 12.84% | 63.98% |
| Black | 8.52% | 1.88% | -77.93% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |