Lara
Meaning of Lara
Lara is a succinct, two-syllable name whose itinerary stretches from ancient Rome to modern Russia. Commonly regarded as the Russian diminutive of Larisa, it also traces a line to Larunda, the loquacious nymph of Roman myth—a figure so talkative that Jupiter ordered her tongue silenced, a neat paradox for parents drawn to understatement. English and Russian speakers alike voice it as LAH-ruh, an uncommon moment of phonetic détente. In Persian parlance, the name glides across the palate like a drop of rosewater, carrying an unforced elegance prized in both poetry and daily conversation. Popular-usage data paint Lara as a quiet long-distance runner: never sprinting for the top spots, yet holding a steady middle-field position on U.S. charts for well over a century, much like a shrewd bazaar merchant content with consistent trade. Cultural touchstones—from Doctor Zhivago’s wistful heroine to the pixel-perfect agility of Lara Croft—layer the name with literary gravitas and modern edge in equal measure. For families seeking economy of letters paired with a wealth of story, Lara offers a compact vessel brimming with myth, history, and a sly promise of adventure.
Pronunciation
Russian
- Pronunced as LAH-ruh (/ˈlɑr.ə/)
English
- Pronunced as LAHR-uh (/ˈlɑr.ə/)
U.S. Popularity Chart
States Popularity Chart
Notable People Named Lara
| Lara Fabian is a Belgian-Italian and Canadian singer-songwriter who has sold over 12 million records, ranking her among Belgium's best-selling artists. |
| Lara Dutta Bhupathi is an Indian actress who won Miss Universe 2000 and gained prominence in the 2000s through her roles in Hindi films and series, earning a Filmfare Award. |
| Lara Setrakian is an Armenian American journalist and entrepreneur who founded News Deeply and reported extensively on major Middle East events like the Arab Spring. |
| Lara Worthington is an Australian model and media personality known for the Tourism Australia campaign and her reality series "Being Lara Bingle." |
| Lara Trump is an American political figure and former Republican National Committee co-chair, married to Eric Trump, who has built a media career including hosting her own show on Fox News. |
| Lara Jill Miller is an American actress best known for playing Samantha "Sam" Kanisky on Gimme a Break! and Kathy on The Amanda Show. |
| Lara Parker was an American actress and writer famed for her role as the witch Angelique Bouchard Collins on the TV series Dark Shadows from 1966 to 1971. |
| English actress Lara Pulver won the 2016 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical for her performance in the West End revival of Gypsy. |
| Lara Vapnyar is a Russian-American writer living in the United States, who studied comparative literature at CUNY and worked with André Aciman and Louis Menand. |
| Lara Porzak is an American fine art photographer. |
| Lara George is a US-based Nigerian gospel singer and mother of two, renowned for her award-winning hit "Ijoba Orun" and her role as Vice President of SoForte Entertainment. |
| Lara Maigue - Lara Marie Moscardon Maigue is a Filipino singer and songwriter who won Best Classical Performer in 2017 and Best Female Crossover Performer in 2018 at the Aliw Awards. |
| Lara Jakes is a New York Times diplomatic correspondent specializing in international security and conflict reporting from over 40 countries. |
| Lara Elizabeth Montecalvo is an American lawyer from Rhode Island who has served as a U.S. circuit judge for the First Circuit since 2022. |
| Lara Prescott is an American author whose debut novel, The Secrets We Kept, became a New York Times bestseller, a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick, has been translated into over 30 languages, and is being adapted for television. |
