Lara is a short form of the Russian name Larisa, thought to be derived from the ancient city of Larisa in Thessaly, which meant "citadel". It is also a variant of the Roman name Larunda, possibly derived from the Greek laleo (λαλέω), meaning "to talk, to chatter". Lara was introduced to the English-speaking world in the mid-20th century via the Boris Pasternak novel Doctor Zhivago and its following film adaptation. Its popularity tends to vary, although it’s currently at a peak.