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Comments and insights on the name Larisa

Personal experiences with the name Larisa

Nicknames for Larisa

We call my sister Resa

My name is Larisa also; my family calls me Risa, Risi, Reese.

Meanings and history of the name Larisa

Larisa means "Cheerful One."
Larisa ("LAH-ree-sa") is a city in Greece.

Famous real-life people named Larisa

Larisa Oleynik, actress

Larisa in song, story & screen

Russian given names traditionally have a diminutive, used when the child is young. Larisa is the diminutive of Lara. Lara (Laura) means "laurel tree" so Larisa is "little laurel tree." Larisa was a main character in "Dr. Zhivago." I named my daughter from the 1965 movie of "Dr. Zhivago" which I saw in my teens. Later I realized only her mother and Komarovsky (the villain who seduced her as a teenager) called her Larisa. She was called Lara by Yuri Zhivago.
"Lara's Theme" from "Dr. Zhivago" soundtrack. When I heard the music (no words) played throughout the movie, I thought, "This is the most beautiful song I've ever heard - it's happy and sad at the same time." "Lara's Theme" doesn't need any words, so I've never listened to the lyrics later given to the tune.