Lara Name Meaning & Origin
Lara
Origin of the name Lara:
A Russian pet form of Klara and Larissa, Lara is also bestowed as an independent given name.
From A World of Baby Names by Teresa Norman.
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US Popularity of Lara Over Time

Sister & Brother Names
Know a Lara? What are her siblings named?
Name Lists Featuring Lara
- Australian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Australia (New South Wales) 2014
- Belgian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Belgium (Flanders) 2014
- Irish Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in the Republic of Ireland 2014
- Spanish Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Spain 2014
- Irish Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Northern Ireland 2014
- German Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Germany 2014
- Swiss Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Switzerland (German)
- Swiss Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Switzerland (French)
- Swiss Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Switzerland (Italian)
- Hungarian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Hungary 2014
- Australian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Australia (Victoria), 2010
- Austrian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Austria, 2010
- Belgian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Belgium, 2008
- Scottish Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Scotland, 2011
- Spanish Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Spain, 2010
- Swiss Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Switzerland (French), 2010
- Swiss Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Switzerland (German), 2010
- Swiss Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Switzerland (Italian), 2010
- Scottish Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Scotland for 2012
- Irish Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Northern Ireland for 2012
- Australian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Australia (New South Wales) for 2012
- Australian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Australia (Victoria) for 2012
- Belgian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Belgium (Flanders) 2012
- Portuguese Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Portugal 2012
- Spanish Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Spain 2012
- Andorran Girls Names: Most Popular Girls Names in Andorra 2014
- Austrian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Austria 2012
- Hungarian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Hungary 2010
- Slovenian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Slovenia 2014
- Spanish Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Spain
- German Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Germany
- Portuguese Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Portugal
- Dutch Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in The Netherlands
- Irish Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in the Republic of Ireland
- Slovenian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Slovenia
- Andorran Girls Names: Most Popular Girls Names in Andorra
- Hungarian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Hungary
- Australian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Australia (New South Wales)
- Swiss Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Switzerland
- Australian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Australia (Queensland)
Contribute your knowledge to the name Lara
- Comments and insights on the name Lara
Okay, so as the other person had said about having the name mixed up with 'Laura' or the occasional 'Lair-ah' falls true for me too. Even the part with having my friends correcting and being more...harsh on others when they pronounce it wrong, when I don't. I really don't care - I know it is a harder and uncommon name to pronounce and don't make a fit about it when it gets pronounced wrong.
One thing that is hard to deal with with the name is the whole 'Lara Croft: Tomb Raider' thing. Many people think that I was named after her ((even though I was born before her)) and often try to compare me with her, but besides that - I never really get a hassel for my name, and I love it quite a lot.
It's also annoying of you get called Lara Bingle (especially if you're Australian). One of the best things is that there aren't any really terrible nicknames you can make, the best my closest friends can do is Laura or Lala.
My name is a little bit common. It may just be bad luck that there are a few my age at school but its still something to think about.
- Personal experiences with the name Lara
I love my name! I've had very few bad experiences with it. An ex-boyfriend discovered the similarity between Lara and lava/larva, but no one else ever did. I have gotten called "Laura" all my life, and it's funny - my friends are much more militant about correcting people than I am. "It's not Laura - it's LAH-RAH!" I occasionally get "Lair-ah" but that's rare. In some situations (i.e. over the phone) I'll purposely pronounce my name "Laura" to make it easier on people, but it's not a huge inconvenience. I've never felt my name was crazy or unusual enough to be weird, but I was always the only Lara I knew. I often get complimented on it (though, of course, I really had nothing to do with it). I wouldn't trade my name for anything.
My cousin's name is Laura and she named her daugther Lara
- Nicknames for Lara
Lala
Lalabell
Lars
Larsie
Lari
Larita
Rah-rah
Larri
Lolly
Lara-lou
Larez
lare bear
Clare
the bear- Meanings and history of the name Lara
"Famous" in Russian, "Cheerful" in Greek, "The Smile" in Spanish, & also a popular Hispanic surname.
- Famous real-life people named Lara
Lara Flynn Boyle, actor
Lara Cardella, Italian writer
Lara Hedberg Deam, magazine founder
Lara Dutta, Indian actress
Lara Fabian, French and English-language singer
Lara Logan, news anchor / television journalist for CBS News
Lara Jill Miller, actress ("Gimme a Break!")
Lara Spencer (Insider host)
Lara St. John, Canadian Violinist
Lara Stone, model.- Lara in song, story & screen
Lara Antipova and "Lara's Theme" from "Dr. Zhivago"
Lara Croft (Tomb Raider video game)
Lara Lor-Van (Superman's mother)
Lara Raith (the uber competent, extremely intelligent, dangerous, sexy succubus from the Dresden Files series)
Lara Jean Song Covey (the main character in Jenny Han's New York Times bestselling book series "To All The Boys I've Loved Before)