Lara is a popular given name of Latin origin, meaning 'cheerful' and 'happy'. It gained prominence through the heroine Lara Croft from the video game series Tomb Raider, known for her intelligence, courage, and adventurous spirit.
The name Lara experienced a resurgence in popularity from the late 1960s to the early 1990s, with peak years being 1967, 1969, 1970, and 1983, each having 6 or more births. However, it was not as commonly used in the earlier year of 1918, with only 5 births recorded that year. Overall, there were a total of 34 babies named Lara born between these years.