Lara
Lara Name Meaning, Origin & Popularity
LAH-ruh
Meaning of Lara: Lara functions as a short form of Larissa, which derives from the name of the ancient Greek city of Larissa in Thessaly, meaning "citadel" or "fortified place." According to Online Etymology Dictionary, the city name itself likely predates Greek and may stem from a Pelasgian word, making Larissa one of the oldest place-derived names still in active use as a given name across European traditions spanning more than 2,500 years.
In Roman mythology, Lara was a water nymph renowned for her inability to stop talking. Jupiter cut out her tongue as punishment, then sent Mercury to escort her to the underworld. She became the mother of the Lares, the Roman household spirits who protected individual homes and families. This mythological origin gives the name a separate ancient Roman identity entirely distinct from its Greek city-name connection.
Boris Pasternak's 1957 novel "Doctor Zhivago" made Lara internationally famous. The character Lara Antipova is the great love of the novel's protagonist through the Russian Revolution and Civil War, and the 1965 film adaptation brought the name to global audiences. The film's score included "Lara's Theme," composed by Maurice Jarre, which became one of the most recognizable movie themes of the 20th century.
What Does Lara Mean? Origin & Etymology
According to SSA records, Lara ranked #740 for girl names in the 2024 annual count, with 379 births recorded. The name saw its American peak in the late 1960s and early 1970s, directly following the film's success. It declined through the 1980s and 1990s, then found renewed visibility through fictional heroines like Lara Croft (introduced 1996 in the Tomb Raider video game franchise), sustaining modest but consistent usage into the present.
Variants include Larissa, Larisa (Russian and Eastern European form), and Larra. The name's brevity - two syllables with a clear open vowel - and its layered literary and mythological associations make it a choice that appeals across cultural backgrounds, from families with Russian or Greek heritage to those drawn to its elegant simplicity and strong fictional character associations.
How Popular Is Lara?
Numerology & Symbolism of Lara
Based on Pythagorean numerology — a traditional system linking name letters to numbers. Presented for cultural interest.
Lara – Similar Names & Alternatives
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Frequently Asked Questions about Lara
What does the name Lara mean?
The name Lara originates in ancient Greek. Greek names frequently encoded concepts from mythology, philosophy, or the natural world, and many were preserved through the New Testament and early Christian tradition.
How popular is the name Lara in the United States?
According to SSA records, Lara ranked #740 for girl names in the United States, with 379 births recorded in the most recent annual count. The name hit its highest SSA rank in 2024. It has held a consistent place in US naming statistics across multiple decades.
Where does the name Lara come from?
The name Lara comes from Greek. It entered English use through the linguistic and cultural channels typical of Greek-origin names—whether through religious texts, migration, or the prestige associated with classical learning. Today it is recognized as a girl’s name across the English-speaking world.