Surname Hara - Meaning and Origin
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Hara: What does the surname Hara mean?
Hara is a surname with multiple origins and thus, its meaning can vary depending on its cultural and geographical context. In Japanese, Hara (原) means "field" or "plain", and it is a fairly common last name. It could potentially refer to a family that originated from or lived near an open field or plain. In the Irish context, O’Hara is a patronymic surname derived from the Gaelic name Ó hEaghra, where "Ó" denotes male descendant and "Eaghra" is a personal name meaning "fearful" or "timid." The O'Hara families were notable clans in Ireland, often associated with a specific territory. In Hebrew, Hara could be related to הר meaning "mountain". Additionally, in India, Hara can be found as a first name, often referring to Lord Shiva, considered the "destroyer" in Hindu mythology. Therefore, the meaning of the last name Hara can vary significantly and would require contextual information for accurate interpretation.
Order DNA origin analysisHara: Where does the name Hara come from?
The last name Hara is still a common surname in various parts of the world today. It is most common in Japan, especially in the Kantō region around Tokyo. This surname is estimated to be carried by approximately 72,000 individuals in this country. It is also prevalent in a number of other East Asian countries, such as China, South Korea and Vietnam.
Outside of East Asia, the surname is also found in North America, where it is estimated to be present in over 16,000 households. It is most commonly found amongst the Japanese American population, particularly in California. In the United Kingdom, it is estimated that Hara is present in roughly 500 households. Meanwhile, Hara is also found in places like Australia, Brazil and the Netherlands, though the number of individuals carrying this name is much smaller.
In general, the last name Hara is often written identically in different languages, regardless of the origin of the bearer. It is sometimes presented as HARA or ハラ in Japanese, Hara in Vietnamese, and Hala in Mandarin Chinese.
Variations of the surname Hara
The surname Hara is of Japanese origin and there are many variants, spellings and surnames that can derive from it. Common variants and spellings include Harahara, Harahara, Haru, Haruya, Harue, Haruo, Haryu, Haruke, Haruma and Haruaki. All of these surnames have the same root pronunciation as “Ha-ra”.
The most common surnames derived from Hara are Harada, Harano, Harada, Haraoka, Harashima, Haratani, Haratake and Harada. All of these surnames share the same root pronunciation with Hara.
Other rarer but still related surnames of Japanese origin include Harasato, Haranaka, Harasato, Harashima, Harashiro, Haranuma, Harakawa and Harayama.
Variants and spellings of the name also occur in other languages such as Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese. In Chinese, the surname is often spelled as He-lai or Hey-lai; in Korean as Hea-ra or Heya-ra and in Vietnamese as Hai-la.
The Hara surname is quite common and is found all over the world. It can be used as a primary surname as well as a given name in some cultures.
Famous people with the name Hara
- Kentaro Hara: A Japanese Professional golfer who is the most successful Japanese male professional golfer.
- Marsha Hara: The Koto player in the Japanese traditional music group, Haraguchido Genshōgaku-Kai.
- Tamo Hara: Lead actor in the 1970s and 1980s stage plays of Japanese theater group Engeki-za.
- Sachiko Hara: Japanese-American actress who has made appearances in both Television and films.
- Kimi Hara: Professional photographer from Japan who specialises in fine art and documentary photography.
- Sayuri Hara: Japanese actress and former child actress best known for featuring in Japanese television dramas.
- Fumi Hara: Japanese actress and singer best known for her roles in Ultraman Mebius and The Last Princess.
- Shinichi Hara: Professional Baseball pitcher from Japan.
- Sumiko Hara: Japanese Actress best known for her appearances in films Kono Sekai no Katasumi ni and Sado e no Tegami.
- Makoto Hara: Japanese football player who has represented his country in the FIFA U-20 World Cup and other international tournaments.