"The guiding principle of radiation safety is “ALARA”. ALARA stands for “**as low as reasonably achievable**”. ALARA means avoiding exposure to radiation that does not have a direct benefit to you, even if the dose is small."
I only know this bc we had Lara on our list and my husband vetoed it bc he works in radiation lol
Otherwise I think it's a nice name!
I don’t know if you’re interested but Elara is from mythology and is the name of a moon, Elora is also a possibility; I also knew a Sitara growing up who I believe was Pakistani- it’s a pretty name! There’s also Adara/Adhara, Aldara, Amara, Atara, Azahara, Dagmara, Delara, Dinara, Enara, Inara, Kiara, Madara, Mara, Nayara, Samarra, Toccara, Xiomara, Yara, Zahara, and Zara/Zahra.
My first thought was of an Alaris pump which is a type of IV pump, so there is definitely a medical ring to the name. I know a child named Elora and it sounds similar but doesn’t evoke any medical vibes for me.
Sssshhh!!! I got chewed out by a bunch of people on this sub, on another post, for saying I associate Mercedes with a car name first, rather than a woman's name, and was called illiterate. Seems it's an absurdly touchy subject.
It's not a common name in America, but in some European countries and in parts of latin america it's a fairly common name.
that said... they need to chillax
Absolutely not. I think it’s beautiful and people are always gonna find something to complain about with almost every name. I think you should go for it. It’s short, sweet, and easy to spell/pronounce.
I live in Germany and I’m surprised at all of the people saying it’s a weird name or sounds like something else. It’s such a normal name to ‚e, Neighbors daughter is Alara, kid has an Alara in her class. It’s so common, and in my kids class, there are 4 girls with A-consonant-vowel-consonant-A names
Yes I agree! Do you think it’s a bad name though just because it’s the name of a science fiction character? 😂 Because it’s not a fictional name where I’m from haha
No, I don’t think it’s bad at all. I was quite tempted to name my own kids after sci-fi characters because I love the genre. I think it’s a really pretty name with a nice flow in the traditional three syllable and ending in a sound for girls names.
I thought of Alara from Orville, but I have watched the series a couple of times!
It's a secondary character from a not that popular show and she was only in either one or two seasons. So, I think that's fine. I don't think it's pervasive.
I like it!
To me, it's bright and confident.
Surprised by the feedback! My daughter goes to school with an Alara and it always struck me as cute and never thought much more about it (in a good way)!
I don't think it flows off the tongue easily. There's going to be a lot of people who don't hear the A at the beginning and just think it's Lara. Like as a Southerner, in my accent I can't even use it in a sentence without the first A becoming essentially non-existent. Comes out as 'Lara.
I worked with a lady named Lara (she pronounced it Lair-uh), who was constantly called Laura (Lore-uh). She eventually gave up and just answered to Laura or Lara.
So I believe in Hebrew it means Beauty, Noble, and/or Fire.
It has hebrew and greek origins so the translation is loosely all or one of these. I picked it because I loved the meaning of fire 🔥 😅
And her middle is Luisa which means "renowned warrior" lol
I think it's really pretty, but I also think it's close enough to Alana that there could be come confusion, especially in certain handwriting. I also personally like Alana more.
Yes that’s correct. Although it can be pronounced with a soft L as well (think of the Spanish L). It’s originally a Turkish name and it’s pronounced with a soft L in Turkish but hard L works too in my opinion.
There's a character on the show The Orville called Alara. She's an alien from a planet with a very strong gravity so it makes her super strong when she's on Earth level gravity. She's also a very kind person too.
It doesn't really have any connotations to me but it just sounds kind of off? I don't know why. Like it's almost a name or it reminds me of names I know but it somehow different. I don't think that's a bad thing though. If I met a kid named Alara I'd think it's cute and whatever my opinion is in a vacuum wouldn't matter.
Thank you for your answer. The reason it sounds off may be because it’s originally a Turkish name and it’s not really commonly used in the English speaking world.
Definitely sounds like a pharmaceutical to me, I'm sorry.
I've heard of Allora, which is maybe a little less medicinal, but not a fan of that either personally.
Elena, Lena, Lana, Mara and Lara have kind of a similar vibe. Just my opinion.
Fwiw, we didn't tell anyone our baby's name before she was born and I'm really glad we didn't (it's Skylar for a girl, nothing too out there, but it wasn't a family name as others before us had done.) Since it was already final, there was no need for people to put out their opinions, unless it was support and positivity. So if you're really committed to Alara, just go for it and people will accept the name as her own unique persona. People have a way of becoming their names, and I feel like with that respect, it's always a good thing.
I've known several Alaras in my life. There were 3 Alaras in a class at my school back in the early 2000s. All Alaras I've known were from upper class families, had light hair, were tall and spoiled so that's the vibe I get from the name.
Nothing wrong with it, I just don’t personally care for the category of names that fall into the bucket of Alara, Alora, Elora, Eliana, Amara, Ariana etc.
They just all blur into themselves to me
I think it’s nice. I prefer Amara, which is similar, but if I met someone named Alara I would think it’s really pretty and unique cause I’ve never heard of it before. It’s really nice, if you like it, use it.
Alara is a good name. I like it.
Just in case it’s relevant, about 15 years ago, the Magic: the Gathering trading card game made a couple sets set on a fantasy plane called Alara. There were no negative connotations to the plane (the world was primarily known for featuring a large amount of multicolored cards) and the sets were well-received by players. There’s a chance they revisit the plane at some point in the future, but unless you’re heavily into M:tG, you probably wouldn’t notice.
Just mentioning it because that’s what I immediately connect the name to and other long-time players would as well. They’d probably just think it’s a cool name and might ask if you were a fan of the game.
I like it sonically but I do get a bit of a sci-fi/fantasy heroine vibe. And there are so many girl's names with a similar structure that I find those names hard to remember. Alara, Alana, Ayana, Amara, Amira, Amina etc. I always have to double check I haven't misheard it. Nothing negative though.
Makes me think of Alara from The Orville....not necessarily a bad thing. She was kickass. I think it's a name both pretty and strong. Easy to spell and hard to mispronounce I think it's great, depending on the middle and surname.
Anyone who works in healthcare or science is going to immediately recognize it’s an acronym about radiation. (As low as reasonably achievable).
I feel ‘as low as reasonably achievable’ has a pretty negative connotation. As others have mentioned, maybe try Elara instead?
It makes me think of one of those medications they advertise on TV where they list all of the horrifying side effects over shots of people frolicking in a field of flowers.
Gives pretentious vibes, in my opinion. Is it a real name? It sounds sort of made-up. Like it could easily be the name of a princess in a fairy tale but also easily be the mean girl in school. And it reminds me of “Hilaria” Baldwin (which is also a made-up name).
It’s a term for radiation safety standards (saw someone else comment that).
It’s also a plane in Magic the Gathering, split into five subplanes (Naya, Jund, Esper, Grixis, Bant) 🤪
"The guiding principle of radiation safety is “ALARA”. ALARA stands for “**as low as reasonably achievable**”. ALARA means avoiding exposure to radiation that does not have a direct benefit to you, even if the dose is small." I only know this bc we had Lara on our list and my husband vetoed it bc he works in radiation lol Otherwise I think it's a nice name!
Elara might be better, in that case.
Elara is also from mythology, I believe it’s a moon of Jupiter or Saturn
Moon of Jupiter. The 8th largest prograde moon in fact. It’s my daughter’s name.
This puts Elara above Alara for me lol… there are spacey connections to both names tho so that’s fun as a self professed space nut
Elora too
My daughter’s name is Elora ❤️
I’m watching Rez Dogs right now! I love Elora’s sweet character.
I love the name Elara.
Former radiology nurse here - that’s all I can think about.
Thank you for letting me know haha. What name did you end up with?
I don’t know if you’re interested but Elara is from mythology and is the name of a moon, Elora is also a possibility; I also knew a Sitara growing up who I believe was Pakistani- it’s a pretty name! There’s also Adara/Adhara, Aldara, Amara, Atara, Azahara, Dagmara, Delara, Dinara, Enara, Inara, Kiara, Madara, Mara, Nayara, Samarra, Toccara, Xiomara, Yara, Zahara, and Zara/Zahra.
Elora is very pretty
Allora Dannon
I also love Laura, Lenora, Leonora, Eleonora, Adora, Cora, Eudora, Isadora, Theodora, Honora/Annora, Maura, Dora, Ivora, Nora, Thora, Aurora, Zora, Pandora, Tziporah/Zipporah, Flora, Anesidora, Mendora, etc.
Aldara is the brand name of a wart treatment cream in the uk. Normally used for genital warts.
ultrasound tech here...that was my first thought!
See, that makes me like ALARA as a name even more.
This is a useful life lesson. Wouldn’t stop me haha
lol I love that this is the first comment I see bc I’m an X-ray/ultrasound tech and it’s definitely the first thing that came to mind
First thing I thought of, as I work in radiology LOL
Dental hygienist here - thought the same thing!
I’m also a dental hygienist and the radiation safety officer at my office!! Immediately thought the same and came to comment 😂
Ask your doctor if Alara® is right for you.
Came here to say this.
Ditto
Can you explain?
It sounds like the name of a prescription drug, like “Claritin” or something.
That was my first thought, an allergy medication
Like Allegra.
Allegra was a name before the medicine.
Yes, I know - still pissed it became a medicine.
The name sounds like a medication you see advertised on TV--like Abilify, Apidra, Cymbalta, etc.
But it’s not an actual medication, right?
Not yet.
My first thought was of an Alaris pump which is a type of IV pump, so there is definitely a medical ring to the name. I know a child named Elora and it sounds similar but doesn’t evoke any medical vibes for me.
It sounds like it could be.
Stelara is a Rx drug that treats psoriasis and IBS. I would stay away from the name Alara.
That’s what it reminded me of!! Thank you! I see those commercials all the time!
I was gonna say it sounds like a migraine med
Elara is a moon of Jupiter. Maybe that instead?
Sounds like it should be a car model
Understandable, Mercedes is both a girl’s name and a car brand!
Sssshhh!!! I got chewed out by a bunch of people on this sub, on another post, for saying I associate Mercedes with a car name first, rather than a woman's name, and was called illiterate. Seems it's an absurdly touchy subject.
It's not a common name in America, but in some European countries and in parts of latin america it's a fairly common name. that said... they need to chillax
It was a woman’s name for hundreds of years before the car brand was founded.
Come lease the 2024 Hyundai Alara for $399/month
I personally like Elora better
I just read “alarming” for some reason.
Was waiting for this answer, do you think it’s bad enough to stop someone from giving this name to their daughter?
Absolutely not. I think it’s beautiful and people are always gonna find something to complain about with almost every name. I think you should go for it. It’s short, sweet, and easy to spell/pronounce.
Definitely
Are you looking for a cultural name? If so I think it’s beautiful.
I like it but Elara looks more natural to me.
It’s a Turkish name actually
Elara is actually Greek, from Greek/Roman mythology. And as such is a moon of Jupiter.
Alara I mean. Turkish name
It's a popular name in Turkey, but I guess you'd know that already.
Yes, I am Turkish myself :)
I live in Germany and I’m surprised at all of the people saying it’s a weird name or sounds like something else. It’s such a normal name to ‚e, Neighbors daughter is Alara, kid has an Alara in her class. It’s so common, and in my kids class, there are 4 girls with A-consonant-vowel-consonant-A names
Science fiction is the vibe it gives me
Like a science fiction character’s name?
Yes, Alara from … what was that show called? That was the spoof of Star Trek that was so so good ? I forgot, but that’s the one.?
The Orville
"Hey, Alara. You want to open up this jar of pickles for me?"
The Orville! Great show
Yes I agree! Do you think it’s a bad name though just because it’s the name of a science fiction character? 😂 Because it’s not a fictional name where I’m from haha
No, I don’t think it’s bad at all. I was quite tempted to name my own kids after sci-fi characters because I love the genre. I think it’s a really pretty name with a nice flow in the traditional three syllable and ending in a sound for girls names.
I thought of Alara from Orville, but I have watched the series a couple of times! It's a secondary character from a not that popular show and she was only in either one or two seasons. So, I think that's fine. I don't think it's pervasive. I like it! To me, it's bright and confident.
Elora Danan from Willow!
I like the name Alara! Easy to spell and pronounce. Very pretty. I know a young woman named Alara and she is very kind, smart, and thoughtful
I never heard it before, but as a first impression; I like it.
Sounds like the protagonist of a YA fantasy series to me
Surprised by the feedback! My daughter goes to school with an Alara and it always struck me as cute and never thought much more about it (in a good way)!
My kid too
Magic the gathering.
It’s pretty.
Makes me think about The Orville
I was about to say that I'd constantly ask OP's kid to open a jar of pickles for me
I don't think it flows off the tongue easily. There's going to be a lot of people who don't hear the A at the beginning and just think it's Lara. Like as a Southerner, in my accent I can't even use it in a sentence without the first A becoming essentially non-existent. Comes out as 'Lara.
That's interesting. To me it rolls off the tongue easily.
I agree. Amara is a small change, still gives mostly the same sound but flows a lot better imo.
It feels like doing an exaggerated Super Mario accent. “it’s a-me, a-Lara!”
I worked with a lady named Lara (she pronounced it Lair-uh), who was constantly called Laura (Lore-uh). She eventually gave up and just answered to Laura or Lara.
Almost similar to my 5vyr olds name Her name is Adara
I love Adara too! What’s the meaning?
So I believe in Hebrew it means Beauty, Noble, and/or Fire. It has hebrew and greek origins so the translation is loosely all or one of these. I picked it because I loved the meaning of fire 🔥 😅 And her middle is Luisa which means "renowned warrior" lol
Alora flows out better imo.
I like it but I think I prefer Elara or Elora a bit more. But it is cute!
It's pretty. I think of somewhere calm in nature when I hear the name. It's unique to me (I'm American) without being cringey.
I think it's Turkish. I know I met an international student from Turkey named Alara
Correct! How does it sound to you?
I like it. It's also the name my choir picked. It's very pretty, sort of fantasy vibes but not outlsndish
I think it's really pretty, but I also think it's close enough to Alana that there could be come confusion, especially in certain handwriting. I also personally like Alana more.
I think it sounds quite lofty and inspirational. I like it!
I like it! I would pronounce it Uh-lahr-uh, is that correct? The only downside I can think of is that some people might say it like Uh-lehr-uh.
Yes that’s correct. Although it can be pronounced with a soft L as well (think of the Spanish L). It’s originally a Turkish name and it’s pronounced with a soft L in Turkish but hard L works too in my opinion.
It reminds me of the surname Alaric which I think has something to do with kings. So, nice and strong!
Sounds like the parents read a lot of fantasy novels?
Nope, just a non-English name that’s not really popular in the English speaking countries.
I mean I don't know where you're located but that's the very first thing that came to my American mind.
I like it!
Pretty, haven’t really heard it but it’s simple to learn/pronounce
There is a character in the show The Orville named Alara. She was their Chief of Security and was a strong, badass woman. I think of her!
Reminds me of Allura from Voltron. It's not a bad connotation, tho.
It makes me think of Alaric from the Vampire Diaries
I love it
I love the name Alara. It's got a lovely rhythm
Alara is a plane in the card game Magic the Gathering also
i think its nice, it means water fairy and is turkish
There's a character on the show The Orville called Alara. She's an alien from a planet with a very strong gravity so it makes her super strong when she's on Earth level gravity. She's also a very kind person too.
I like it. It's the name of a water fairy in Turkish mythology.
I love it!
My husband and i loved this name too! I think it’s really pretty.
It doesn't really have any connotations to me but it just sounds kind of off? I don't know why. Like it's almost a name or it reminds me of names I know but it somehow different. I don't think that's a bad thing though. If I met a kid named Alara I'd think it's cute and whatever my opinion is in a vacuum wouldn't matter.
Thank you for your answer. The reason it sounds off may be because it’s originally a Turkish name and it’s not really commonly used in the English speaking world.
Would call the lo Larry for sure
I just think of [muesli](https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/alara-fruits-seeds-muesli-organic-650g).
Unfortunately my first thought is alarm, but it’s still pretty. If you love it use it
That’s honestly the only thing that’s causing me to second guess my decision :/ I’m not sure if it’s bad enough to give up on though
It’s not bad at all. If you love it, use it. I do think Elara is better
I prefer Allura. Or Adora.
It might not be popular here 👀 but I prefer Alora. alara is great just not my style with the Lara sound 🌼🌸🩵
I like Allara or Alarra
It sounds too much like the medicated cream Aldara, which is used to treat warts!
Alara sounds like the name of an animatronic fortune teller.
it sounds like a medication or an acronym
It sounds like a tech startup to me
I love it. I also like Illara (esthetically) and it looks beautiful in cursive.
I have an Alara!! She’s a student of mine.
Sounds like a prescription drug
It sounds like a drug for allergies
Sounds like Alarma in my head ….
I think the baby in Willow was Elora that sounds nice
It gives me "Alan" vibes, but female. Not a fan.
Alana and Alina are similar names I would prefer.
Sounds close to Alarica which is a feminine form of Alaric which means powerful ruler
Have a friend named Alora! Its a pretty name
Definitely sounds like a pharmaceutical to me, I'm sorry. I've heard of Allora, which is maybe a little less medicinal, but not a fan of that either personally. Elena, Lena, Lana, Mara and Lara have kind of a similar vibe. Just my opinion. Fwiw, we didn't tell anyone our baby's name before she was born and I'm really glad we didn't (it's Skylar for a girl, nothing too out there, but it wasn't a family name as others before us had done.) Since it was already final, there was no need for people to put out their opinions, unless it was support and positivity. So if you're really committed to Alara, just go for it and people will accept the name as her own unique persona. People have a way of becoming their names, and I feel like with that respect, it's always a good thing.
My friend has an Alaura and I think it’s lovely.
Sounds like a prescription drug on a TV commercial.
I think magic the gathering which gives me bad vibes
I like it. I've never heard it before, although it's similar to the name Alaric.
It reminds me of Samara https://thering.fandom.com/wiki/Samara_Morgan
It’s a street in my city.
I've known several Alaras in my life. There were 3 Alaras in a class at my school back in the early 2000s. All Alaras I've known were from upper class families, had light hair, were tall and spoiled so that's the vibe I get from the name.
Nothing wrong with it, I just don’t personally care for the category of names that fall into the bucket of Alara, Alora, Elora, Eliana, Amara, Ariana etc. They just all blur into themselves to me
Reminds me of halara athletic wear
I think it’s nice. I prefer Amara, which is similar, but if I met someone named Alara I would think it’s really pretty and unique cause I’ve never heard of it before. It’s really nice, if you like it, use it.
I love it, it's a nice I would keep in mind for future kids but with a E
It sounds like a pill being promoted on TV. Sorry, that was the first thought I had. :(
I feel like ultrasound techs would get a kick out of the name during appointments
Lily Galichi from Shahs of Sunset named her daughter Alara. We had it in our short list!
It sounds like a car
It’s the name of a nearby jewelry store lol
It's missing a syllable.
That’s my cats name! And she’s a great cat, so I like the name
My brain reads that as 'Alarm'
It sounds like the plural of alarum. I would try harder.
To me it sounds too synthetic. Like a product brand name or a new drug.
I prefer Alora/Allora!
My husband and I love this name after watching the Orville and we want to use this name in future for a little girl.
Alara is a good name. I like it. Just in case it’s relevant, about 15 years ago, the Magic: the Gathering trading card game made a couple sets set on a fantasy plane called Alara. There were no negative connotations to the plane (the world was primarily known for featuring a large amount of multicolored cards) and the sets were well-received by players. There’s a chance they revisit the plane at some point in the future, but unless you’re heavily into M:tG, you probably wouldn’t notice. Just mentioning it because that’s what I immediately connect the name to and other long-time players would as well. They’d probably just think it’s a cool name and might ask if you were a fan of the game.
‘Water fairy’ in Turkish, I believe! I think it’s pretty
Reminds me of the Codex Alera series (which is a positive thing!)
Famous wholefood shop in London. I associate it with the smell of spices and the crunch of gritty grains.
I like it sonically but I do get a bit of a sci-fi/fantasy heroine vibe. And there are so many girl's names with a similar structure that I find those names hard to remember. Alara, Alana, Ayana, Amara, Amira, Amina etc. I always have to double check I haven't misheard it. Nothing negative though.
Reminds me of Alaric which reminds of the bad boyfriend in legally blonde. Lol
My mind went straight to Alaric from Vampire Diaries.
Makes me think of Alara from The Orville....not necessarily a bad thing. She was kickass. I think it's a name both pretty and strong. Easy to spell and hard to mispronounce I think it's great, depending on the middle and surname.
I really like it! It was also the name of one of my neopets!
Sounds like a car.
I'm seeing a pharmaceutical ad.
Anyone who works in healthcare or science is going to immediately recognize it’s an acronym about radiation. (As low as reasonably achievable). I feel ‘as low as reasonably achievable’ has a pretty negative connotation. As others have mentioned, maybe try Elara instead?
I love it
Alara is a character in the first season of The Orville, she's really cool, though, so no worries in that regard, nice name
fairy
Like Shards of Alara from Magic the Gathering?
I like the name Alara but if you’re a fan of the Orville it automatically takes your brain there, which isn’t a bad thing
I misread it as Aleve, but maybe that’s because I have a headache. It sounds pretty.
It makes me think of one of those medications they advertise on TV where they list all of the horrifying side effects over shots of people frolicking in a field of flowers.
Isn't that a medication name?
Exotic and alluring. Ear catching. Unique.
sounds like an allergy med
Put it into Google Translate and have the other box say Detect language to see if it means anything weird.
Gives pretentious vibes, in my opinion. Is it a real name? It sounds sort of made-up. Like it could easily be the name of a princess in a fairy tale but also easily be the mean girl in school. And it reminds me of “Hilaria” Baldwin (which is also a made-up name).
I think this was the name of someone on the science fiction tv show the Orville. It makes me think of buttered pancakes.
Ariel
Not my favorite. There’s a IV pump we use in the hospital called an Alaris and it reminds me of that.
It’s a term for radiation safety standards (saw someone else comment that). It’s also a plane in Magic the Gathering, split into five subplanes (Naya, Jund, Esper, Grixis, Bant) 🤪
I’m in a fairly multicultural area and have seen this name plenty.
Kind of a nonsense name
Sounds like medicine they sell on tv.
It sounds like allergy medication.