Total births
1,012
Girls' name · since 1956
Chara
Chara has 1,012 recorded births since 1956 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1982 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- 1,012
- total births
- 1956–2025
- years on record
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 27%
- born in that decade
1,012 girls have been named Chara since 1956, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
Chara has 1,012 recorded births among girls since 1956, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used girls names, busiest in the 1980s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1956 to 2025.
- 1,012 total births
- 1956–2025 years on record
- 1980s peak decade
- 27% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
1,012 girls have been named Chara since 1956, peaking in the 1980s, last recorded in 2025.
- 1,012
- total births
- 1956–2025
- years on record
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 27%
- born in that decade
1980s
Peak decade
27% of everyone ever named Chara was born in this single decade.
1982
Single peak year
39 babies were named Chara in 1982 - its busiest year on record.
Chara's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Chara's SSA record in two at 1992 and the more recent half accounts for 34% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 66%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1956, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1982 peak of 39, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Chara at a glance
Last recorded 2025Peak year
1982
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1956
Chara popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1956–2025
- Peak year (1982)
- 39
- Annual births at peak, across 70 years of records
Chara by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Chara's strongest decade.
275 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 27% of all-time use.
Chara births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1950s 11
1950s
11 births
- 1960s 73
1960s
73 births
- 1970s
1970s
268 births
- 1980s
1980s
275 births
- 1990s
1990s
144 births
- 2000s 108
2000s
108 births
- 2010s 96
2010s
96 births
- 2020s 37
2020s
37 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 275 births (27% of all-time use).
How Chara compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Chara's total volume
Chara vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Chara by state
Where Chara concentrates geographically, total births since 1956
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 19 | 1.9% |
| #2 | Texas | | 11 | 1.1% |
| #3 | Florida | | 5 | 0.5% |
California share of Chara's total US births 1.9%
Even split
19 of 1,012 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 3 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Chara? ▼
Since 1956, Social Security records show 1,012 babies named Chara. The most recent recorded year was 2025. Its busiest year on record was 1982, with 39 births.
When was Chara most popular? ▼
Chara was most popular in the 1980s decade with 275 total births. The single peak year was 1982.
Where is Chara most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Chara are California (19 births), Texas (11 births), Florida (5 births).
How long has the name Chara been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Chara since 1956 -- 70 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Chara? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Charlotte, Charlene, Charlie, Charity, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Chara's data
- Chara's decade-level peak was the 1980s (275 total births); usage has since declined to 37 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Charas (19 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Chara
Nearby Names Like Chara
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Chara
Charlotte Girl
#4 453,433 births
Charlene Girl
#1755 133,729 births
Charlie Girl
#140 40,359 births
Charity Girl
#2041 35,518 births
Chasity Girl
#4059 24,414 births
Compare Chara side by side: Chara vs Charlotte Chara vs Charlene Chara vs Charlie
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of July 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1956–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Chara: Baby Name Since 1956 - 1,012 Births, Peak 1982." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/chara. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Chara draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of July 2026.