Lara
Lara is a feminine given name or a surname in several languages. It can be used as a short form of the name Larissa. It was popularized in the Anglosphere by a character in the 1965 film Dr. Zhivago.
- Russian
- English
- German
- French
Meaning & Origin of Lara
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Lara is a feminine given name or a surname in several languages. It can be used as a short form of the name Larissa. It was popularized in the Anglosphere by a character in the 1965 film Dr. Zhivago.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Russian
- English
- German
- French
- Italian
- Spanish
- Portuguese
- Dutch
- Hungarian
- Slovene
- Croatian
- Roman Mythology
- Icelandic
The Story of Lara
American parents first put Lara on the record books as a baby girl name in 1887, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1969, when 1,354 Laras were born — ranking #222 that year. The 1970s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 25% of all recorded Laras. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #747 among baby girl names with 379 births, holding steady (-1%). In total, more than 31K Laras have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Lara
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Lara. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Lara
Phonetically similar names — useful when Lara is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Lara
What does the name Lara mean?
What is the origin of the name Lara?
How popular is Lara in 2026?
When was Lara most popular?
In which U.S. states is Lara most popular?
Is Lara a unisex name?
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What are nicknames or variants of Lara?
About the name Lara
Lara is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1887 and has accumulated 31K births in the dataset. Lara's peak popularity came in 1969 when it ranked #222. Use the chart and map above to compare Lara's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1969 →
- Names of the 1960s →
- Names starting with "L" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.