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At a Glance: Name: Elara – Origin: Greek (mythological name) – Gender: Girl – Pronunciation: eh-LAR-ah
Elara is a Greek mythological name, pronounced eh-LAR-ah (IPA /ɛˈlɑːrə/). You may come across the claim that it means 'bright, shining light,' but that doesn't actually trace back to Elara itself — it looks like a mix-up with names like Eleanor, Elena, or Helen. If you're considering Elara, it's best to go in valuing its Greek mythological roots and its sound rather than a meaning that isn't really attached to the name.
Meaning & Origin of Elara
Origin: Greek (mythological name).
A common claim: Elara is often said to mean 'bright, shining light'. Actually: Elara has no attested lexical meaning of its own; the 'shining light' gloss looks like a conflation with Eleanor/Elena/Helen, not evidence about Elara itself.
Source: Wiktionary.
How to Pronounce Elara
Phonetic: eh-LAR-ah IPA: /ɛˈlɑːrə/
Popularity of Elara
Elara ranked #1156 in the SSA's 2024 data, with 208 babies given the name — and that's also its peak rank across the full 2002-2024 record, so it's never been used more than it is right now.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 2002–2024.
Make Elara Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Elara, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
Names With a Similar Story
Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.
FAQ
What does the name Elara mean?
Elara is often said to mean ‘bright, shining light’. Elara has no attested lexical meaning of its own; the ‘shining light’ gloss looks like a conflation with Eleanor/Elena/Helen, not evidence about Elara itself.
How do you pronounce Elara?
Elara is pronounced eh-LAR-ah (IPA: /ɛˈlɑːrə/).
Is Elara a popular name right now?
Elara is at its highest recorded popularity right now, ranked #1156 in 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 2002–2024.)
📊 How popular is Elara? See the full popularity history, trend data, and ranking since 1880 with our free Baby Name Popularity Checker.
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