Cara is a simple and sweet female name of Latin and Irish origin, and it means Friend in Irish and Gaelic. Alternatively, Cara is used as a short form of Caroline and Charlotte.
Cara also means Beloved in Latin, and the variants including Carina, Cherie and Cheryl.
Kara is the alternative spelling, and it means Love in Cornish. In Turkish, Kara means "dark", which may be related to the Gaelic Ciara of the same meaning.