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Lara as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Lara

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The baby name Lara is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced LAH-rah (ˈlɑːrə),LAIR-ə (ˈlɛrə).

Lara is Latin in Origin.

Gender: Female
Syllables: 2.0
Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: LAH-rah (ˈlɑːrə),LAIR-ə (ˈlɛrə)

What is the meaning of the name Lara ?

The baby name Lara is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced LAH-rah (ˈlɑːrə),LAIR-ə (ˈlɛrə).

Lara is Latin in Origin.

Lara is a multilingual given name with several roots. In Latin tradition it recalls Lara (Larunda), a talkative nymph later venerated as Tacita and linked to the Lares; meaning is obscure, though associations with household guardians endure. Across Slavic and Greek spheres, Lara functions as the short form of Larissa, derived from the ancient city Larisa and commonly glossed as "citadel" or "fortress." In Romance languages it also overlaps with Laura, from laurus "laurel," a symbol of victory.

As an independent name, Lara appeared in many European languages, rising internationally after Boris Pasternak's Doctor Zhivago and the 1965 film, then spiking again in the 1990s with adventurer Lara Croft. It remains fashionable from Spain and Italy to Slovenia and Russia. Related forms include Larisa/Larissa, Laura, and the rarer Larah; pet forms may be Lari. Meanings vary by route: laurel/victory; fortress; or mythic, domestic protection.

Lara has the following similar or variant Names

Lara – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Girls 2025 #1 — 874
Germany Girls 2025 #1 — 411
Austria Girls 2024 #19 315 60
HN 0 #22 1 704
HT Girls 0 #22 2 950
Switzerland Girls 2024 #25 165 1,786
MT 0 #26 18 1,767
MV Girls 0 #32 4 2,021
BI Girls 0 #33 1 726
IQ Girls 0 #33 2,282 11,303
TM Girls 0 #33 3 574
LU Girls 0 #38 212 4,850
GE 0 #43 2 997
JO Girls 0 #45 1,455 7,570
MO 0 #49 4 2,706
SI 0 #50 30 1,612
SI Girls 0 #50 175 2,769
MT Girls 0 #52 116 3,773
LU 0 #53 14 2,830
PR 0 #54 2 1,497
CM 0 #56 1 2,592
HR Girls 0 #58 1,003 3,687
CY 0 #59 2 1,632
LB 0 #59 2,458 13,263
Belgium Girls 2024 #60 142 424
PT Girls 0 #60 3,002 7,952
MU Girls 0 #70 585 8,539
PH 0 #70 27 5,607
AZ Girls 0 #72 4 1,051
JO 0 #75 67 2,158
AL 0 #76 1 2,372
AO 0 #76 2 2,729
JP 0 #77 1 4,057
QA 0 #78 23 7,011
RS 0 #81 4 923
BG 0 #82 1 1,799
SY 0 #83 2,938 11,684
RS Girls 0 #87 53 1,651
IQ 0 #90 40 3,533
MD Girls 0 #90 3 865
Norway Girls 2025 #91 36 453
Sweden Girls 2022 #92 96 1,568
JM 0 #93 1 3,714
KZ 0 #93 2 1,452
AF Girls 0 #94 1 2,402
BN Girls 0 #95 12 5,459
TW 0 #97 7 4,523
OM 0 #98 19 6,215
GE Girls 0 #100 9 1,564
ID Girls 0 #101 2 3,319
SD 0 #102 1 2,130
CY Girls 0 #103 19 3,755
MU 0 #105 32 3,613
HR 0 #106 82 2,081
Canada Girls 2024 #110 210 2,795
GE Boys 0 #110 1 2,055
HU 0 #110 6 1,675
PS Girls 0 #112 901 10,981
KW 0 #116 6 5,216
BR Girls 0 #117 4,303 12,708
Germany Girls 0 #118 3,642 4,949
EC 0 #120 2 2,502
France Girls 2021 #123 432 3,185
AE 0 #127 51 10,220
IT Girls 0 #128 20,875 9,415
EE Girls 0 #129 10 1,888
PT 0 #129 155 4,161
CY Boys 0 #131 1 3,473
GR 0 #132 4 3,911
Austria Girls 0 #137 562 1,885
PA 0 #137 2 3,797
BN Boys 0 #138 2 6,332
Spain Girls 0 #143 4,732 5,561
QA Girls 0 #143 183 15,378
RU Girls 0 #145 794 11,913
BW Girls 0 #149 3 4,216
BR 0 #153 229 5,969
BW Boys 0 #154 1 4,685
AR 0 #157 30 2,915
CR 0 #157 9 5,526
EG Girls 0 #159 4,211 14,742
AE Girls 0 #161 496 20,968
SA Girls 0 #161 1,478 25,931
PR Girls 0 #162 6 3,171
RU 0 #165 25 3,641
AR Girls 0 #168 1,118 8,289
Austria 0 #174 40 850
HU Boys 0 #174 1 3,954
UY 0 #175 8 2,477
IT 0 #178 1,557 4,183
HU Girls 0 #179 45 3,308
MT Boys 0 #179 1 4,064
CZ 0 #181 6 3,154
LT Girls 0 #185 10 1,904
AO Girls 0 #187 23 4,575
PS 0 #191 28 5,692
DK 0 #192 12 5,198
Germany 0 #200 308 2,542
GR Girls 0 #205 38 6,293
Spain 0 #207 324 2,326
BG Girls 0 #210 14 3,559
PL 0 #210 3 2,600
SI Boys 0 #210 2 3,402
AL Girls 0 #213 10 4,141
IL Girls 0 #213 668 11,648
NA Girls 0 #213 12 7,146
LU Boys 0 #218 3 4,970
BG Boys 0 #220 1 3,850
IR 0 #225 7 4,221
AO Boys 0 #229 14 5,568
NG 0 #231 34 5,926
MO Girls 0 #232 20 7,056
PH Girls 0 #232 165 13,098
SD Girls 0 #233 114 7,678
OM Girls 0 #234 165 15,987
DK Girls 0 #235 83 7,429
JP Girls 0 #236 10 6,592
BD 0 #237 5 5,992
IL 0 #240 35 6,291
KZ Girls 0 #244 78 5,862
EC Boys 0 #245 2 3,322
GH 0 #246 3 5,396
TW Girls 0 #246 31 8,139
HR Boys 0 #247 12 3,997
YE 0 #248 139 8,639
SA 0 #249 47 10,560
NL Girls 0 #252 1,486 5,933
UY Girls 0 #252 335 6,731
TW Boys 0 #255 2 7,111
SG 0 #256 14 11,010
EC Girls 0 #258 1 3,650
GR Boys 0 #270 4 6,912
JM Girls 0 #276 3 7,507
CZ Girls 0 #280 63 5,378
NL 0 #290 102 2,481
ZA 0 #292 156 14,421
JM Boys 0 #293 1 6,876
CN Girls 0 #294 56 8,829
KZ Boys 0 #295 2 6,578
AL Boys 0 #300 4 5,122
PL Girls 0 #305 50 5,096
EG 0 #307 97 6,387
MY 0 #308 23 12,352
JO Boys 0 #315 63 7,057
KW Girls 0 #320 199 19,177
PE 0 #326 4 6,350
GH Girls 0 #330 8 6,973
Finland Girls 0 #331 61 1,368
GT 0 #333 6 5,948
PL Boys 0 #340 1 6,459
PT Boys 0 #343 25 7,951
MA 0 #346 1,983 20,986
HK 0 #349 9 8,483
NG Girls 0 #354 649 15,093
MU Boys 0 #367 3 8,477
Finland Girls 2026 #370 658 3,895
BD Girls 0 #373 14 8,413
LY 0 #389 149 12,703
MX 0 #393 21 8,339
BO 0 #401 8 6,868
CL 0 #401 11 6,867
PH Boys 0 #403 6 11,440
UY Boys 0 #412 2 5,922
TN 0 #425 538 13,765
Austria Boys 0 #429 14 2,180
SD Boys 0 #435 11 10,523
AR Boys 0 #438 30 7,628
PA Girls 0 #442 40 9,861
DZ 0 #443 1,214 20,130
IR Girls 0 #450 81 8,334
SG Girls 0 #458 129 18,916
GT Boys 0 #465 10 7,625
CR Boys 0 #471 17 10,188
MY Girls 0 #472 643 24,821
IQ Boys 0 #479 191 13,071
BH 0 #483 71 17,937
GT Girls 0 #491 15 7,500
CR Girls 0 #495 38 11,342
PA Boys 0 #498 8 9,305
CO 0 #502 9 7,768
CM Girls 0 #505 36 11,671
HK Girls 0 #518 98 16,104
RU Boys 0 #518 9 12,621
PS Boys 0 #523 26 10,655
TR 0 #540 1,684 19,440
BO Girls 0 #557 55 9,488
HK Boys 0 #557 1 12,905
United States Girls 2024 #559 379 8,487
ZA Girls 0 #560 790 25,928
IR Boys 0 #561 5 10,162
CM Boys 0 #570 6 12,054
BO Boys 0 #576 17 9,244
IL Boys 0 #577 31 10,983
BD Boys 0 #599 7 10,045
IN Girls 0 #602 30 13,121
CL Boys 0 #647 19 13,390
BR Boys 0 #667 85 12,213
EG Boys 0 #692 198 15,035
QA Boys 0 #693 15 18,093
SG Boys 0 #732 8 17,960
CL Girls 0 #745 107 14,098
KW Boys 0 #756 14 18,755
MX Boys 0 #788 198 16,355
PE Girls 0 #813 131 14,861
CO Boys 0 #834 87 15,656
Spain Boys 0 #848 83 5,610
PE Boys 0 #850 29 14,506
OM Boys 0 #869 13 17,948
MX Girls 0 #886 311 17,781
CO Girls 0 #904 175 16,140
Germany Boys 0 #906 47 5,697
NG Boys 0 #930 22 16,906
NL Boys 0 #935 17 5,873
IN Boys 0 #967 35 16,750
MY Boys 0 #1,037 75 25,439
AE Boys 0 #1,054 39 22,615
ZA Boys 0 #1,149 30 25,619
IT Boys 0 #1,331 141 10,046
SA Boys 0 #1,499 116 28,008

Lara is popular in 95 countries — most recent births per country:

Ireland
France
Scotland, United Kingdom
Norway
Canada

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Lara

Lara is predominantly a girl's name.
Lara is a 2 syllable name, pronounced LAH-rah (ˈlɑːrə),LAIR-ə (ˈlɛrə).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Larah, Lára, Larrah and Larra.
Yes, very popular — Lara ranked #1 in Ireland in 2025, and appears in official birth registries across 13 countries.
Lara ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2025).
Lara's popularity is holding steady. It moved from #1 in 2015 to #1 in 2025 in Ireland.