Lara

The girl's name Lara is both a name from Roman mythology and a Russian diminutive of the names Larissa and Laura. In Roman mythology, Lara was a water nymph from the area of the Tiber River, who retained her original name Lala ("the talkative one" or "the chatterbox") due to her excessive talkativeness (from Ancient Greek laléō meaning "to speak, to chat, to gossip").

What does the name Lara mean?

The girl's name Lara is both a name from Roman mythology and a Russian diminutive of the names Larissa and Laura. In Roman mythology, Lara was a water nymph from the area of the Tiber River, who retained her original name Lala ("the talkative one" or "the chatterbox") due to her excessive talkativeness (from Ancient Greek laléō meaning "to speak, to chat, to gossip"). When she revealed an affair of her husband Jupiter with the nymph Juturna, Jupiter had her tongue cut out, after which Lara became the mute goddess of the underworld, Tacita. In Slavic regions, Lara is also used as a pet form of Larissa. This name is derived from a nymph in Greek mythology, after whom the ancient Greek places Lárisa (Ancient Greek Lā́rissa), the capital of Thessaly, and the fortress Larissa on the Peloponnese peninsula are named. The exact origin and meaning of Larissa is not secured. When referring to the fortress Larissa, the name is often translated simply as "the citadel" and when referring to the city Larissa as "the one from (the city of) Larissa." Folk etymologically, the name Lara as a Russian diminutive of Larissa can also mean "the lovely one" (from Ancient Greek lārós meaning "lovely, pleasant") or "the seagull" (from Ancient Greek láros meaning "sea bird, seagull"). Furthermore, Lara is a variant of Laura, the feminine diminutive of the Latin name Laurentius, an originally Roman surname that was meant to express origin from the Roman coastal town of Laurentum. As a diminutive of Laura, the name Lara thus means "the one from (the city of) Laurentum." Since the original name Laurentius was later folk etymologically reinterpreted and related to the Latin word laurus meaning "laurel," the names Laura and Lara also carry the meaning "the laurel-crowned one" in the sense of a heroine or beauty adorned with a laurel wreath. In several Austronesian languages, "Lara" also refers to "pepper" or "chili," which is not related to the first name Lara. The name's popularity is partly due to Boris Pasternak's famous novel "Doctor Zhivago" from 1957, which was adapted into a film in 1965, featuring a main character named Lara (Larissa) Antipowa. In the 1990s, the name gained additional fame through the character "Lara Croft" from the successful video game series "Tomb Raider," which was also adapted into a film. Since the 2000s, the first name Lara has become enormously popular not only in Germany but across almost all of Europe, ranking among the most popular girl names for years in countries like Belgium, Spain, Slovenia, and Hungary, as well as Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. A rather rare spelling variant is Larah.

Where does the name Lara come from?

The etymology of Lara is a feminine first name of Ancient Greek and Latin origin with meanings such as "the laurel-crowned one" or "the talkative one" and others. Ancient Greek Latin Roman

How do you pronounce Lara?

Sound & pronunciation of Lara: The name Lara is two syllables and open-ended. In German pronunciation, it is usually spoken as "La-ra" [ˈlaːʁa], starting with a long, open "a" that conveys spaciousness. The open ending gives the name a harmonious sound. Lara feels timeless and elegant - simple, friendly, and present.

When is the name day of Lara?

As a diminutive of Larissa, Lara celebrates its name day on March 26 (Saint Larissa) and as a diminutive of Laura on January 22 (Laura Vicuña), August 10 (Laurentius of Rome), and October 19 (Laura of Córdoba).

Popularity

Lara is a very popular first name in Germany. Currently, it ranks 32nd on the list of the most common female baby names. Its best placement was in 2005 when it reached 4th place. In the last ten years, Lara has been given as a first name about 23,200 times, placing it 24th in the ten-year statistics. From 2010 to 2024, it ranks 21st.

Nicknames & pet names

Aral / La / Laal / Laarkes / Lada / Laerchen / Lahaa / Lala / Lalalein / Lale / Lalelu / Lali / Lalla / Lallitsch / Lama / Laraaaar / Larachen / Larachi / Laralando / Larale / Laralein / Laraleinli / Laraley / Larali / Laralinchen / Laraliralu / Laralita / Laralu / Laraly / Laranghals / Laraptor / Laraska / Lareen / Laremy / Laretta / Larey / Lari / Lariana / Lariane / Larichen / Larifari / Larii / Larile / Larilein / Larilo / Larilu / Larilux / Larimaus / Larimausi / Larina / Larinchen / Larino / Larinski / Larischa / Larisi / Larissaa / Larita / Laritchen / Laritita / Larixelle / Larme / Larmidin / Larmisch / Laro / Larosaurus / Laroska / Larotte / Larry / Larsi / Larska / Larus / Laruscha / Laruschi / Laruschka / Larushka / Lary / Laryshka / Lava / Lera / Lilalara / Liri / Lora / Loration / Lula / Lulu / Lurra / Lvara / Lärchen / Lärchenklein / Lärelii / Lärli / Lärra / Lärri / Läru / Läära

Similar first names

Famous people

• Alexandra Maria Lara (actress)
• Lara Adrian (book author)
• Lara Andriessen (German writer)
• Lara Belmont (actress from England)
• Lara Cardella (Italian writer)
• Lara Cody (American actress)
• Lara Cox (actress)
• Lara Croft (video game icon, film character)
• Lara Debbana (model from Egypt)
• Lara Dutta (Indian actress)
• Lara Fabian (Belgian singer)
• Lara Flynn-Boyle (actress)
• Lara Gilchrist (Canadian actress)
• Lara Guichard (lover of Doctor Zhivago (fictional character)
• Lara Gut (ski racer)
• Lara Harris (model from America)
• Lara Huber (philosopher from Germany)
• Lara Hulo (German singer, street musician, and songwriter)
• Lara Jackson (swimmer from America)
• Lara Jean Marshall (British actress)