Chara as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Chara

What is the meaning of the name Chara ?

The baby name Chara is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced Greek: /xaˈra/ (kha-RAH, stress on second syllable),English: /ˈtʃærə/ or /ˈtʃɑːrə/ (CHA-rə or CHAH-rah).

Chara is Greek in Origin.

Chara is a feminine given name from Greek Χαρά (Chará), meaning “joy” or “delight.” The noun occurs in classical and Koine Greek, including the New Testament, where chara denotes spiritual gladness, which encouraged its use among early and later Christian Greeks. In Greece it functions both as an independent name and as a domestic short form for traditional names such as Charikleia (Chariclea) and Charalampia.

Transliterations and variants include Hara, Khara, and Chará; affectionate forms are Charoula/Haroula and Roula. Outside Greece, the name has been adopted through the Greek diaspora since the 20th century and is sometimes confused with or aligned to similar-sounding Cara and Chiara, though those come from Latin clarus (“clear, bright”). Related Greek forms from the same char- root include Charis and Charissa. A minor astronomical namesake, the star Chara (Beta Canum Venaticorum), has helped modern recognition, subtly echoing the name’s luminous, upbeat sense.