| Pronunciation | /ˈkɑːrə, ˈkɛərə/ KAHR-ə, KAIR-ə |
|---|---|
| Gender | female |
| Origin | |
| Word/name | Gaelic |
| Meaning | pure, cherished and beloved one |
| Region of origin | Ireland |
| Other names | |
| Related names | Kara, Caragh, Cheryl, Cherie, Karina, Karine, Katrina, Katharina, Katherine, Catherine |
Cara is an Irish feminine given name meaning "friend". It is also an English, German and Italian language feminine given name from the Latin cārus meaning “darling, beloved, dear, loved one”.[1] It is also a Danish, Norwegian and Swedish feminine given name that is an alternate form of Kara as well as a short form of Carola, Carolina, and Oscara.[2]
Cara means beloved in Latin, and the names Carina, Cherie and Cheryl derive from it.[3]
Kara, an alternative spelling, is from the Cornish word kara, meaning love. This is likely cognate to the popular Welsh girls' name Carys. The name is also that of an island in the Inner Hebrides island group, Scotland; Cara Island, lying just off the southern tip of the Isle of Gigha.
In Egyptian language, the term Kara can be translated as "the spirit of Ra".
In Turkey, the word Kara means "dark", which may or may not be related to the Gaelic Ciara of the same meaning.
In Greece, the name Kara means "pure", and is related to the names Katharina, Katherine, and Katrina. In Ancient (and sometimes in modern) Greek language, Kara means Head.
In Japan, the word Kara means "empty", and is the basis of the name of the Karate martial art.
In Norse mythology, Kára was a valkyrie; in the Scandinavian languages, the name Kára either means "the wild, stormy one" (based on Old Norse afkárr, meaning "wild") or "curl" or "the curly one" (from Old Norse kárr).