Lara may refer to:
- The character from Final Fantasy Legend III.
- Lara Croft
Etymology[]
Larunda (also known as Larunde, Laranda, or Lara) was a naiad nymph, daughter of the river Almo in Ovid's Fasti. She was famous for both beauty and loquacity, incapable of keeping secrets, and so revealed to Jupiter's wife Juno his affair with Juturna. For betraying his trust, Jupiter cut out Lara's tongue and ordered Mercury, the psychopomp, to conduct her to Avernus, the gateway to the Underworld and realm of Pluto. Mercury fell in love with Larunda and made love to her on the way; this act has also been interpreted as a rape. Lara thereby became mother to two children, referred to as the Lares, invisible household gods. She had to stay in a hidden cottage in the woods so that Jupiter would not find her.
Lara can be a given name or a surname in several languages. In Ukrainian and Russian, the given name is a short form for Larissa. In Hindi, the given name is a short form for Laranya, which means graceful. In Turkish, it means water fairy.