Cara is a female given name in several languages. It is of Latin, Greek, and Celtic origin. It has been frequently used mostly in recent times, especially in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. and can also be used as a short form for the name Caralee. 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”. 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.