The similar names Caricia (the Spanish word for “caress”) and Karicia both debuted in the U.S. baby name data in 2002:
| Girls named Karicia | Girls named Caricia | |
| 2005 | . | . |
| 2004 | 8 | . |
| 2003 | 13 | 5 |
| 2002 | 24 | 20 |
| 2001 | . | . |
Where did they come from?
The Mexican telenovela Salomé, which originally aired from October of 2001 to May of 2002.
At the start of the series, the main character, Salomé (played by Edith González), worked as a cabaret dancer with her best friend, Karicia (played by Niurka Marcos).
Marcos’ portrayal of Karicia earned her the award for Best Supporting Actress at the Premios TVyNovelas in mid-2002.
P.S. The French word for “caress” — Caresse — is also a baby name.
Sources: Salomé (2001) – TV Tropes, Salomé (TV series) – Wikipedia, 20th TVyNovelas Awards – Wikipedia, SSA
Image: Screenshot of Salomé