Alara is a modern name of uncertain origin that is usually traced to Turkish, where it is explained as the name of a "water fairy" of folklore; English speakers also hear it as a blend of Alana and Lara. Its soft, open sound fits the current fashion for names like Elara, Amara and Ayla. In the United States Alara was number 1064 in 2024 and entered the top 1000 for the first time in 2025 at 652.