The Spanish surname Lara is derived from Lara de los Infantes, in the Burgos province of Spain, and in some cases retains the original form, de Lara (of Lara), there are also Lara surnames in France and Romania
Adelina de Lara (1872–1961), British pianist and composer
Agustín Lara (1900–1970), Mexican composer
Alda Lara, poet
Alexandra Maria Lara, Romanian actress
Alonso Manrique de Lara, Roman Catholic bishop
Antonio Lara de Gavilán, Spanish artist
Bernardo Gutiérrez de Lara, politician
Blanca de La Cerda y Lara, Spanish noblewoman
Brian Lara (born 1969), Trinidadian cricketer
Brigido Lara, Mexican artist
Carlos Lara Bareiro, Paraguayan composer
Catherine Lara, French violinist, composer and singer
Cayo Lara (born 1952), Spanish politician
Christian Lara, Ecuadorian footballer
Christian Lara, Guadeloupean film director
Claude Autant-Lara, French film director
Daniel García Lara, football striker
David Laurent de Lara (c.1806–1876), illuminator
Eduardo Lara, Colombian football manager
Emilio Lara, Cuban weightlifter
Erislandy Lara, Cuban boxer
Eurico Lara (born 1897), Brazilian footballer
Francisco José Lara, Spanish professional road bicycle racer
Georgia Lara, Greek water polo player
Guillermo Lara, politician
Isidore de Lara, English composer
Jacinto Lara (1777–1859), Venezuelan independence leader
Jerónimo Manrique de Lara, General Inquisitor
Joe Lara, American actor and musician
José Manuel Lara, Spanish golfer
Juan Lara, baseball player
Juan Jesús Vivas Lara, Spanish politician
Joaquin Gallegos Lara, Ecuadorian writer and poet
Kiki Lara, Mexican soccer player
Louis, comte de Narbonne-Lara, French soldier and diplomat
Lucas Martínez Lara, Roman Catholic bishop
Lúcio Lara, former General Secretary of the MPLA
María Teresa Lara, a Mexican composer
Martha Lara (fl. late 20th century), Mexican diplomat & politician
Martín Acosta y Lara, Uraguayan basketball player
Modesto Lara (born 1973), Dominican Republic judoka
Nil Lara, American musician
Oruno Lara, Guadeloupean poet, author and historian
Osvaldo Lara (born 1955), Cuban track and field sprinter
Pablo Lara, Cuban weightlifter
Rafael Paulo de Lara Araújo, Brazilian basketball player
Raúl Lara, soccer player
Rocío Lara, Muppeteer
Rodrigo Lara Bonilla, Colombian politician
Rosalio José Castillo Lara, Roman Catholic cardinal
Tino de Lara, Filipino actor
Tito Lara, Puerto Rican singer
Willian Lara (1957–2010), Venezuelan politician
Víctor Neumann-Lara, Mexican mathematician
Marlon Guillermo Lara Orellana, politician
Margrét Lára Viðarsdóttir, Icelandic footballer
In Hindi, the given name is a short form for Laranya, which means graceful.
In Russian and Ukrainian , the given name is a short form for Larissa
In Turkish, the given name can stand alone or as a short form for Dilara or Alara (based on the water fairy of Turkish mythology).
Lara Bingle, Australian model
Lara Cardella, Italian writer
Lara Petusky Coger, American journalist
Lara Dutta, Indian actress and Miss Universe 2000
Lara Fabian, the French and English-language singer whose works include the Final Fantasy soundtrack theme "The Dream Within"
Lara Flynn Boyle, American actress
Lara Goodall, South African cricketer
Lara Gut, Swiss alpine skiers
Lara Hedberg Deam, magazine founder
Lara Honos-Webb, American psychologist and author
Lara Logan, a television journalist for CBS News in the United States
Lara Jill Miller, American voice actress
Lara Molins, Irish cricketer
Lara Pulver, English actress
Lara St. John, Canadian violinist
Lara Sanders, born LaToya Antoinette Pringle, American-Turkish professional basketball player
Lara Scandar, Egyptian/Italian singer who participated in the 6th season of Star Academy Arab World
Lara Veronin, also known as Lara Liang, is Taiwanese singer and actress and former member of the Taiwainese band, Nan Quan Mama
Lara (comics), the biological mother of the comic book character Superman
Larissa "Lara" Antipowa, heroine of Boris Pasternak's novel Doctor Zhivago 1957, played by Julie Christie in the 1965 film)
Lara Božić, titular character of the Croatian television series Larin izbor (Lara's Choice)
Lara Croft, main character from the Tomb Raider series
Lara-Su, Knuckle's future daughter from the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series. She appears in the "Mobius 25 Years Later" storyline and in its sequel arc: "30 Years Later". Lara-Su is also the main protagonist in the upcoming Lara-Su Chronicles graphic novel series.
Lara (mythology), in Greek mythology, Lara is a Naiad nymph and daughter of the river Almo in Ovid's poem Fasti
Lara, in ancient Egyptian mythology, means sun ray, coming from Ra, the god of sun