Lara is a diminutive of Larissa. Larissa originates in Greek language and means "woman from citadel". In Greek mythology, Larissa was a nymph and the daughter of Pelasgus. It was also the name of a 4th century Christian martyr, Saint Larissa. Larissa is also the name of an important city in Greece. As a feminine given name it has been fairly popular in the United States. Lara was popularized as the character name of Lara Croft in video games and a subsequent film starring Angelina Jolie.