Larah

Meaning & origin

Larah is a rare name that first appeared in U.S. birth records in 1981, later rising to a modest peak rank in 2009. Its trajectory has remained largely stable over time, and in 2025 the name sat at rank 14,942 with a frequency of 1 in every 321,453 births. Larah is overwhelmingly given to girls. As a spelling variant of Lara, it carries the weight of Lara's ancient but debated origins, possibly from Roman guardian gods or Ovid's nymph. The name has not been associated with any particular region in the U.S., with no top states recorded. Its rarity gives it an understated, distinctive character, appealing to parents who want a name that is recognizable yet uncommon.

Larah is a spelling variant of Lara, a name with disputed origins. It may derive from the Latin Lares, the household guardian gods in Roman religion, or from the Greek Λάρα (Lara), a nymph in Ovid's Fasti. The name entered modern use primarily in English-speaking countries, with the Larah spelling gaining modest attention in the late 20th century. Its adoption as a given name was likely influenced by the character Lara in Boris Pasternak's novel Doctor Zhivago (1957), though the specific Larah variant is a relatively recent spelling innovation.