Girl's name
Lara
Say it LAR-uh
Russian origin 2 syllables
Where Lara is loved, common and rare
Common across six German cities, Switzerland, Spain and nine more places. Rare in Ireland, Scotland, Northern Ireland and five more places. Loved in Croatia.
1 in 426 girls born in Scotland in 2025
Munich 13thSwitzerland 16thCatalonia 17th
LovedCommonRare
Every place
In 27 of the 40 official lists, among them Munich (13th), Switzerland (16th) and Catalonia (17th).
Show all 27 placesShow less
| Place | Rank | Girls | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hungary | 11th 2025 | 432 | rank only |
| Munich city | 13th 2025 | 49 | about 1 in 86 |
| Switzerland | 16th 2025 | 175 | 1 in 194 |
| Spain | 17th 2024 | 1,327 | rank only |
| Catalonia region | 17th 2025 | 201 | 1 in 96 |
| Austria | 20th 2025 | 287 | 1 in 124 |
| Slovenia | 20th 2025 | 79 | about 1 in 84 |
| Berlin city | 30th 2023 | 74 | about 1 in 196 |
| Cologne city | 31st 2023 | 29 | about 1 in 212 |
| The Netherlands | 57th 2025 | 229 | about 1 in 266 |
| Quebec province | 62nd 2025 | 82 | about 1 in 317 |
| Italy | 77th 2024 | 430 | 1 in 417 |
| Sweden | 95th 2025 | 110 | about 1 in 365 |
| England and Wales | 98th 2025 | 465 | 1 in 545 |
| Poland | 98th 2025 | 193 | 1 in 621 |
| Ireland | 102nd 2025 | 47 | 1 in 449 |
| Scotland | 106th 2025 | 42 | 1 in 426 |
| Northern Ireland | 132nd 2025 | 15 | 1 in 486 |
| Norway | 143rd 2025 | 36 | 1 in 605 |
| Ontario province | 144th 2024 | 77 | about 1 in 707 |
| France | 172nd 2025 | 320 | 1 in 896 |
| Israel לארא | 232nd 2024 | 71 | about 1 in 1,105 |
| British Columbia province | 457th 2023 | 7 | about 1 in 1,708 |
| Croatia | 10th 2025 | 228 | rank only |
| Leipzig city | 30th 2025 | 13 | about 1 in 202 |
| Bonn city | 90th 2025 | 7 | about 1 in 431 |
| Rostock city | 92nd 2025 | 2 | about 1 in 492 |
Rare, below the listed names: New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and New Zealand.
Not in a short top list, so no figure: Nova Scotia (top 21), Denmark (top 50), Finland (top 50), Iceland (top 10), Estonia (top 25), Moscow (top 61), Turkey (top 30) and Argentina (top 20).
Germany publishes no national statistics on first names. German figures here are city lists (Berlin, Munich, Cologne, Bonn, Leipzig, Rostock), never the country.
Israel publishes names in Hebrew script. The Latin spelling shown is our transliteration; the published form is shown beside it.
Sources: Belügyminisztérium, Nyilvántartások (kormany.hu) (Hungary); Landeshauptstadt München, Statistisches Amt (opendata.muenchen.de) (Munich); Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS) / Office fédéral de la statistique (OFS) (Switzerland); INE (Instituto Nacional de Estadística) (Spain); Idescat (Institut d'Estadística de Catalunya) (Catalonia); Statistik Austria (OGDEXT_VORNAMEN_1) (Austria); Statistični urad Republike Slovenije (SURS), SiStat (Slovenia); BerlinOnline GmbH; Landesamt für Bürger- und Ordnungsangelegenheiten (LABO) / Standesämter (Berlin); Stadt Köln, Standesamt (offenedaten-koeln.de) (Cologne); Sociale Verzekeringsbank (SVB) (the Netherlands); Retraite Québec (Banque de prénoms, Données Québec) (Quebec); ISTAT, Contanomi (Italy); Skatteverket (Swedish Tax Agency) (Sweden); Office for National Statistics (England and Wales); Ministerstwo Cyfryzacji, rejestr PESEL (dane.gov.pl) (Poland); Central Statistics Office (CSO) (Ireland); National Records of Scotland (Scotland); NISRA (Northern Ireland); Statistics Norway (SSB) (Norway); Ontario Office of the Registrar General (Ontario Data Catalogue) (Ontario); INSEE, Fichier des prénoms (édition 2025) (France); Central Bureau of Statistics (Israel) (Israel); BC Vital Statistics Agency (BC Data Catalogue) (British Columbia); Ministarstvo pravosuđa, uprave i digitalne transformacije (Matica rođenih) (Croatia); Stadt Leipzig, Standesamt (opendata.leipzig.de) (Leipzig); Bundesstadt Bonn, Standesamt (opendata.bonn.de) (Bonn); Hanse- und Universitätsstadt Rostock (opendata-hro.de) (Rostock). How we count, and every source
About the name
Lara came into English from Russian, where it is a pet form of Larissa. Its fame in the West owes much to Lara, the heroine of Boris Pasternak's novel Doctor Zhivago and of the film made from it, which introduced the name to many English speakers.
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LAR-uh is two syllables, simple and warm. Lára is the accented spelling used in some languages, and the name sits close to Laura, Lora and Larissa itself, which remains the full form behind it.
Lara is a firm favourite in central Europe, in the top ten in Croatia and just outside it in Hungary, and it ranks well in Switzerland. In the English-speaking world it is most used in Quebec, and it is in the top hundred in England and Wales and close to it in Ireland. In France it peaked only recently, although it is easing back in several other countries.
Meaning, origin, pronunciation
- Pronounced
- LAR-uh, 2 syllables
- Origin
- Russian
- Other spellings
- Larissa
- Laura
- Lora
- Lari
- Delara
- Larsa
- Laraina
- Larina
Counted together here: Lára.
Etymology
Anglicized from Russian Lara, a pet form of Larissa, known from the novel (1957) and film (1965) Doctor Zhivago.
From the Wiktionary entry, CC BY-SA 4.0, shortened.
Over time
Over five years: rising in 4 of 26 regions, falling in 9.
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Rank in each place since 1996; higher on the chart is more popular.
Ten years of ranks
Her rank each year, English-speaking regions first. A blank means no published rank for her that year.
| Region | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England and Wales | 118 | 126 | 110 | 97 | 101 | 98 | 85 | 92 | 98 | 98 |
| Scotland | 117 | 146 | 134 | 117 | 134 | 96 | 97 | 95 | 131 | 106 |
| Northern Ireland | 108 | 91 | 75 | 83 | 111 | 97 | 81 | 51 | 110 | 132 |
| Ireland | 93 | 91 | 91 | 103 | 80 | 85 | 105 | 111 | 142 | 102 |
| Ontario | 176 | 298 | 229 | 170 | 220 | 255 | 156 | 148 | 144 | |
| British Columbia | 324 | 469 | 256 | 458 | 248 | 352 | 264 | 457 | ||
| New South Wales | 70 | 72 | 68 | 68 | 68 | 67 | 92 | 81 | ||
| Victoria | 96 | 96 | 86 | 96 | ||||||
| Queensland | 88 | |||||||||
| South Australia | 55 | 63 | 71 | 56 | 63 | 99 | 69 | 84 | ||
| Quebec | 198 | 210 | 138 | 147 | 95 | 90 | 111 | 137 | 54 | 62 |
| France | 192 | 191 | 198 | 149 | 166 | 143 | 153 | 142 | 150 | 172 |
| The Netherlands | 73 | 52 | 51 | 48 | 46 | 51 | 51 | 51 | 57 | |
| Austria | 16 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 20 |
| Switzerland | 6 | 7 | 11 | 4 | 11 | 14 | 20 | 12 | 26 | 16 |
| Berlin | 35 | 22 | 17 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 30 | ||
| Munich | 22 | 21 | 18 | 11 | 8 | 15 | 26 | 16 | 31 | 13 |
| Cologne | 20 | 19 | 33 | 11 | 14 | 40 | 21 | 31 | ||
| Bonn | 32 | 25 | 44 | 32 | 33 | 33 | 26 | 29 | 23 | 90 |
| Leipzig | 35 | 22 | 31 | 21 | 17 | 25 | 42 | 33 | 20 | 30 |
| Rostock | 46 | 42 | 134 | 30 | 14 | 52 | 50 | 47 | 25 | 92 |
| Norway | 251 | 297 | 156 | 171 | 131 | 132 | 128 | 144 | 165 | 143 |
| Sweden | 177 | 177 | 125 | 128 | 148 | 126 | 119 | 100 | 109 | 95 |
| Iceland | 69 | 131 | ||||||||
| Spain | 47 | 38 | 25 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 17 | |
| Catalonia | 54 | 39 | 28 | 27 | 25 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 17 | 17 |
| Italy | 66 | 83 | 83 | 78 | 79 | 77 | 79 | 78 | 77 | |
| Poland | 162 | 143 | 122 | 111 | 104 | 88 | 94 | 91 | 92 | 98 |
| Hungary | 36 | 34 | 27 | 17 | 14 | 10 | 12 | 19 | 19 | 11 |
| Slovenia | 5 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 20 | 17 | 15 | 10 | 20 |
| Croatia | 11 | 11 | 10 | |||||||
| Israel | 273 | 233 | 236 | 251 | 221 | 269 | 254 | 350 | 232 |
England and Wales, 1996 to 2025
| Year | Rank | Girls | per 100,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 98 | 465 | 183.6 |
| 2024 | 98 | 474 | 183.7 |
| 2023 | 92 | 525 | 204.6 |
| 2022 | 85 | 559 | 212.1 |
| 2021 | 98 | 539 | 196.7 |
| 2020 | 101 | 505 | 188.1 |
| 2019 | 97 | 540 | 192.8 |
| 2018 | 110 | 474 | 164.4 |
| 2017 | 126 | 446 | 149.1 |
| 2016 | 118 | 484 | 157.6 |
| 2015 | 125 | 462 | 150.0 |
| 2014 | 115 | 484 | 157.8 |
| 2013 | 108 | 503 | 163.1 |
| 2012 | 115 | 501 | 155.6 |
| 2011 | 119 | 494 | 153.7 |
| 2010 | 124 | 462 | 143.9 |
| 2009 | 120 | 455 | 145.2 |
| 2008 | 110 | 504 | 159.6 |
| 2007 | 115 | 472 | 154.2 |
| 2006 | 98 | 528 | 176.4 |
| 2005 | 105 | 480 | 166.5 |
| 2004 | 98 | 522 | 182.6 |
| 2003 | 91 | 568 | 203.8 |
| 2002 | 97 | 482 | 180.3 |
| 2001 | 134 | 335 | 125.0 |
| 2000 | 137 | 340 | 124.5 |
| 1999 | 136 | 347 | 123.2 |
| 1998 | 131 | 356 | 123.1 |
| 1997 | 146 | 319 | 108.8 |
| 1996 | 174 | 255 | 86.1 |
Sources: Office for National Statistics (1996-2025), OGL v3.
France since 1925
Half of the babies named Lara in France since 1925 were born in or after 2008. First recorded in 1967. Her peak year there: 2023, at 130.9 per 100,000 girls.
Babies named Lara per 100,000 girls born in France, by five-year period. Her 2023 peak is averaged into its five-year period, so the line sits below it.
Sources: INSEE, Fichier des prénoms (édition 2025) (1900-2025), Licence Ouverte / Etalab 2.0.
Sister names for Lara
1 in 260 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Lara.
1 in 560 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Lara. Same first letter as Lara.
1 in 852 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Lara. Same first letter as Lara.
1 in 190 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Lara.
1 in 491 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Lara.
1 in 228 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Lara.
1 in 1,041 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Lara.
1 in 471 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Lara.
1 in 577 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Lara.
1 in 95 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Lara.
Middle names for Lara
1 in 57 in Northern Ireland
Lara Grace
2-1 beats · initials LG
Changes the beat after Lara: 2 syllables, then 1 syllable.
1 in 71 in Scotland
Lara Olivia
2-4 beats · initials LO · Lara slides into Olivia: vowel meets vowel.
Changes the beat after Lara: 2 syllables, then 4 syllables. Lara slides into Olivia: vowel meets vowel.
1 in 99 in Scotland
Lara Sophia
2-3 beats · initials LS
Changes the beat after Lara: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 311 in Ireland
Lara Maria
2-3 beats · initials LM
Changes the beat after Lara: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 214 in Northern Ireland
Lara Rose
2-1 beats · initials LR
Changes the beat after Lara: 2 syllables, then 1 syllable.
1 in 78 in Northern Ireland
Lara Emily
2-3 beats · initials LE · Lara slides into Emily: vowel meets vowel.
Changes the beat after Lara: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables. Lara slides into Emily: vowel meets vowel.
1 in 491 in Ireland
Lara Julia
2-3 beats · initials LJ
Changes the beat after Lara: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 1,286 in England and Wales
Lara Miriam
2-3 beats · initials LM
Changes the beat after Lara: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
Same style as Lara
Names whose popularity rose and fell with hers across regions and decades.
1 in 471 in Scotland
95% alike: moves with Lara across countries and decades.
1 in 571 in Ireland
94% alike: moves with Lara across countries and decades.
1 in 1,509 in Ireland
93% alike: moves with Lara across countries and decades.
1 in 1,041 in Northern Ireland
93% alike: moves with Lara across countries and decades.
1 in 960 in Ireland
92% alike: moves with Lara across countries and decades.
1 in 190 in Ireland
92% alike: moves with Lara across countries and decades.
1 in 126 in Scotland
92% alike: moves with Lara across countries and decades.
1 in 154 in Ireland
92% alike: moves with Lara across countries and decades.
Famous people named Lara
Lara Dutta, Lara Fabian, Lara Flynn Boyle, Lara Gut-Behrami, Lara Stone, Lara Arruabarrena, Lara Pulver and Lara-Isabelle Rentinck.
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Indian actress (born 1978)
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Belgian and Canadian singer and songwriter born 1970
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American actress (born 1970)
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Swiss alpine skier born 1991
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Dutch model born 1983
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Spanish tennis player born 1992
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English actress (born 1980)
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German actress born 1986
People: Wikidata (CC0), linked to Wikipedia in this page's language when an article exists.
Questions about Lara
4 questions, on how popular she is, how to say it, whether she is rising and sister names.
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How popular is Lara?
Her best rank is No. 10 in Croatia in 2025. She is in the published lists of 27 of our 40 regions.
How do you pronounce Lara?
LAR-uh, with 2 syllables.
Is Lara getting more popular?
Over five years: rising in 4 of 26 regions, falling in 9.
Which sister names go with Lara?
The deck's top five sisters for Lara: Nina, Lana, Lena, Zoe and Julia. Each is scored on style, era, popularity and origin, with sound clashes flagged.