Lara
Girl name · #692 in 2025 · Rare
How old is the name Lara? In official American birth records, Lara has been tracked continuously since 1887, giving it 138 years of documented American history.
Lara is currently the #692 girl name in the United States — 409 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #812, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 4,401 girls born in 2025 was named Lara.
The 138-year story
Lara first appears in the Social Security records in 1887, when 5 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1969, when 1,354 girls were named Lara — good for #222 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Lara per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Lara against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Lara in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Lara is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Lara will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Lara is most common
Geography matters for names, and Lara is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Lara is most common in MA (0.7 per 1,000), IL (0.6 per 1,000), FL (0.6 per 1,000), NY (0.6 per 1,000), WA (0.5 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.3 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Lara is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Lara
Statistically, parents drawn to Lara tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Tara, Dara, Tamara, Lea, and Laura.
TaraDaraTamaraLeaLauraMyraCaraLiza
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Lara | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 409 | #691 |
| 2024 | 380 | #741 |
| 2023 | 384 | #731 |
| 2022 | 424 | #693 |
| 2021 | 427 | #681 |
| 2020 | 396 | #707 |
| 2019 | 413 | #701 |
| 2018 | 359 | #759 |
| 2017 | 365 | #761 |
| 2016 | 378 | #755 |
| 2015 | 345 | #812 |
| 2014 | 337 | #821 |
| 2013 | 295 | #874 |
| 2012 | 313 | #852 |
| 2011 | 278 | #929 |
| 2010 | 301 | #880 |
| 2009 | 287 | #930 |
| 2008 | 292 | #932 |
| 2007 | 290 | #932 |
| 2006 | 322 | #834 |
| 2005 | 319 | #811 |
| 2004 | 359 | #735 |
| 2003 | 349 | #732 |
| 2002 | 402 | #635 |
| 2001 | 336 | #724 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Lara?
In official American birth records, the name Lara first appeared in 1887 (over 138 years ago), when 5 newborn girls received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Lara a popular girl name?
Lara ranked #692 among girls in 2025 with 409 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #812.
When was the name Lara most popular?
Lara peaked in 1969, when 1,354 American girls received the name (ranked #222 that year). Since 1969 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Lara?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 4,401 newborn American girls was named Lara. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.