2000
#26,419
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 869
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.32
Very Rare Last name
Cara
An Italian surname derived from the Latin word "carus," meaning beloved or dear.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 788 Americans carry the last name Cara. That puts it at #35,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.23 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 434,967 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cara surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Cara with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
788
1 in 434,967
Census rank
#35,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
687
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 687 bearers of the surname Cara in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.23 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 35309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cara, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (16.2%) and Hispanic (12.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cara
The surname CARA is of Italian origin, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Latin word "carus," meaning "dear" or "beloved." This name likely originated as a nickname or descriptive term for someone who was highly valued or cherished within their community.
The earliest recorded instances of the CARA surname can be traced back to the regions of Tuscany and Umbria in central Italy during the 13th and 14th centuries. Historical records from this time period, including municipal archives and church registers, contain references to individuals bearing variations of the name, such as Cara, Caro, and Carri.
One of the earliest known bearers of the CARA name was Giovanni Cara, a prominent merchant and landowner who lived in the city of Perugia, Umbria, in the late 13th century. Records from the Perugia municipal archives mention his involvement in various trade agreements and land transactions.
In the 15th century, the CARA surname gained prominence in the region of Tuscany, particularly in the city of Florence. Sebastiano Cara, a skilled sculptor and architect, was commissioned to work on several notable projects, including the design of the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore's façade in 1588.
During the Renaissance period, the CARA name was also associated with the arts and literature. Tommaso Cara, a poet and playwright born in Siena in 1472, gained recognition for his works celebrating the beauty of the Tuscan landscape and the virtues of courtly love.
As the CARA surname spread across Italy, it became intertwined with various place names. For instance, in the region of Campania, the town of Caramanico Terme derived its name from the Latin phrase "Cara Manica," which translates to "dear dwelling."
Notable individuals with the CARA surname include:
1. Gaetano Cara (1801-1885), an Italian botanist and naturalist known for his contributions to the study of Mediterranean flora.
2. Maria Cara (1888-1968), an Italian opera singer who performed at renowned venues such as La Scala in Milan.
3. Antonio Cara (1927-2003), an Italian film director and screenwriter, best known for his neorealist films depicting the struggles of working-class Italians.
4. Giancarlo Cara (born 1942), an Italian businessman and entrepreneur, the founder of the successful fashion brand Cara Moda.
5. Alessandra Cara (born 1996), a Canadian singer-songwriter of Italian descent, known for her hit singles "Here" and "Scars to Your Beautiful."
While the CARA surname has endured for centuries, its origins can be traced back to the heartlands of medieval Italy, where it was borne by individuals who were cherished and valued within their communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cara
Among Census respondents with the surname Cara, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (16.2%) and Hispanic (12.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Cara bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Cara surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White66.1% · 454
- Asian and Pacific Islander16.2% · 111
- Hispanic or Latino12.5% · 86
- Black or African American4.1% · 28
- Two or more races1.2% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cara
Cara appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#33,036
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 693
-176 bearers (-20.3%)
Per 100,000 0.23
Rank movement Down 6,617 places
2020
#35,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 687
-6 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.23
Rank movement Down 2,273 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #26,419 | 869 | 0.32 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #33,036 | 693 | 0.23 | -176 bearers (-20.3%) | Down 6,617 places |
| 2020 | #35,309 | 687 | 0.23 | -6 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 2,273 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Cara surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #33,036 | #35,309 | -6.9% |
| Count | 693 | 687 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.23 | 0.23 | -0.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cara bearers went from 693 to 687 (-0.9% change). The surname moved down 2,273 positions in the national ranking, going from #33,036 to #35,309.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Cara
FAQ
Cara surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cara?
Name Census estimates that about 788 living Americans carry the surname Cara. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 434,967 residents.
How common is Cara?
Cara ranks #35,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.23 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 687 people with the surname Cara. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (788), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.23 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.23 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Cara.
Has Cara become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cara went from 693 recorded bearers to 687. That is a decrease of 6 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #33,036 to #35,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Cara?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cara, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (16.2%) and Hispanic (12.5%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Cara in the 2020 Census, accounting for 66.1% (454 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cara appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (66.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (16.2%), Hispanic (12.5%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Cara (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Cara mean?
An Italian surname derived from the Latin word "carus," meaning beloved or dear. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Cara (0.23 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Cara?
Want to know how many people have the surname Cara? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.