girl's name
Lara
LAR-a
- Origin Russian
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 4
- Popularity Top 100 (E&W)
- Births on record 64,101
the United States
#691
2025 births
Lara is a girl's name of Russian origin, a short form of Larisa, and its meaning is unresolved — most often given as "citadel," after the Greek city of Larissa. A separate Roman nymph named Lara is unrelated.
- Lara is a name of Russian origin.
- Peaked in US records in 1969, when 1,360 babies were given the name.
- After peaking in the 1960s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival in US records.
- Today about 1 in 1,133 babies in England and Wales is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1887.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Lara over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. Lara is more popular in England and Wales — see the country table below. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 5 |
| 1890s | 30 |
| 1900s | 41 |
| 1910s | 120 |
| 1920s | 189 |
| 1930s | 138 |
| 1940s | 121 |
| 1950s | 241 |
| 1960s | 4,207 |
| 1970s | 7,617 |
| 1980s | 5,418 |
| 1990s | 3,053 |
| 2000s | 3,218 |
| 2010s | 3,384 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 2,420 |
What Lara means
Lara has no settled meaning. The most defensible reading is from the place name Larissa, a citadel or stronghold, since the personal name appears to derive from the city rather than from any descriptive word.
Where Lara comes from
Lara shortens the Russian Larisa, generally traced to the Greek city Larissa, whose name is pre-Greek and means something like citadel or fortress. Because the derivation runs through a place name of unknown origin, the meanings offered in reference works — cheerful, protection, sun ray — are guesses rather than etymology. A Roman myth features a nymph called Lara whose tongue was cut out for talking too much, from the Greek lalein, to chatter; she is unconnected to the modern name. Boris Pasternak's Doctor Zhivago, published in 1957 and filmed in 1965, brought the name to Western Europe.
Lara in use
Our data marks Lara as reviving, with a peak in 1969 — four years after the Zhivago film and its inescapable Lara's Theme — and it now sits at 98 in England and Wales against 691 in the United States. It first appears in our records in 1887.
How popular is Lara?
In 2025, Lara was given to 465 babies in England and Wales, ranking #98 that year. It is one of the most popular names in England and Wales.
Where Lara is used
England and Wales figures withhold any name given to fewer than three babies in a year. The historical chart above uses US records, the only series running back to 1880. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Lara
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Lara also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Lara over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Lara in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Lara
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Lara — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Lara
What does the name Lara mean?
The meaning is unresolved. It is usually given as "citadel," after the Greek city Larissa, from which the name Larisa derives.
Is Lara short for Larissa?
Yes — Lara is the Russian short form of Larisa, and is now used independently.
Did Doctor Zhivago make Lara popular?
Our data shows it peaking in 1969, four years after the 1965 film, so the timing supports it.
Is Lara a girl's or a boy's name?
Lara is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Lara?
Lara has 2 syllables.
Is Lara a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Lara currently ranks #98 in the United States. After peaking in the 1960s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.