Claire Girl

Popularity: #67 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: klair //klɛər//

Origin: Latin; French

Meaning: Latin: clear; French: bright

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Claire originates from the Latin word "clarus," meaning "clear" or "bright." This Latin term evolved into the Old French "claire," which retained the meaning of brightness or clarity. The name entered the English language during the Middle Ages, particularly after the Norman Conquest of England in the 11th century, when many Norman names and terms were adopted into English vernacular.

The transition from Latin to Old French to English illustrates the linguistic evolution influenced by historical events and cultural exchanges in Europe. Historically, the name Claire has been associated with several notable figures, including Saint Claire of Assisi, who founded the Order of Poor Ladies in the 13th century.

Her canonization in 1255 contributed to the name's religious significance, particularly in Christian contexts. The name also appears in various literary works, with its use in medieval texts and later in the works of authors during the Renaissance, which helped to solidify its presence in European culture.

Culturally, the name Claire has been associated with qualities such as purity and clarity, often symbolizing enlightenment and wisdom. This association has allowed the name to endure through centuries, as it resonates with various virtues admired in different cultures.

The diminutive form "Clara" has also been historically relevant, particularly in the context of classical music, as seen in the works of composers like Clara Schumann. Overall, the name Claire reflects a rich tapestry of linguistic heritage and cultural significance that has evolved over time.

Famous people named Claire

In this section, you will find notable people named Claire. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Claire who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Claire who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Claire Danes is an actress best known for My So-Called Life, Romeo + Juliet, and Homeland.

Claire Foy is an actress best known for The Crown, Wolf Hall, and First Man.

Claire Rushbrook is an actress best known for Secrets & Lies, The Old Guard, and The Fall.

Claire Coffee is an actress best known for Grimm, The Magicians, and The Catch.

Claire Holt is an actress best known for The Vampire Diaries, The Originals, and H2O: Just Add Water.

Claire Forlani is an actress best known for Meet Joe Black, Mallrats, and The Medallion.

Claire Keim is an actress and singer best known for Les hommes de l'ombre, La vérité si je mens!, and Le temps est assassin.

Claire Sweeney is an actress and singer best known for Brookside, Celebrity Big Brother, and The Big Reunion.

Fictional characters named Claire

The following list of fictional characters named Claire is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Claire Dearing is a fictional character from the film series Jurassic World. She is the operations manager of Jurassic World and plays a crucial role in the events surrounding the park's dinosaur attractions.

Claire Underwood is a fictional character from the TV series House of Cards. She is a powerful political figure and the wife of the main character, Frank Underwood, known for her ambition and ruthlessness.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Claire, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

CatherineCharlotteClaudiaCeliaCassandraCarmen

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Claire. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

ClaraClareCleaClementineCleoClaudiaCynthiaCeline

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Claire was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Claire has ranked as high as #119 nationally, which occurred in 2016, and has been most popular in California, New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Texas.

In the past 5 years the name Claire has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Claire is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Claire was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Claire.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 3,487 0 3,487
2024 3,337 0 3,337
2023 3,200 0 3,200
2022 3,380 0 3,380
2021 3,709 5 3,704
2020 3,837 0 3,837
2019 4,130 0 4,130
2018 4,406 0 4,406
2017 4,707 5 4,702
2016 5,216 0 5,216
2015 4,837 0 4,837
2014 5,015 0 5,015
2013 4,661 0 4,661
2012 4,944 0 4,944
2011 4,900 0 4,900
2010 4,917 0 4,917
2009 4,832 7 4,825
2008 4,608 7 4,601
2007 4,621 7 4,614
2006 4,013 0 4,013
2005 3,300 7 3,293
2004 3,344 11 3,333
2003 3,571 0 3,571
2002 3,406 0 3,406
2001 3,642 0 3,642
2000 3,711 0 3,711
1999 3,734 0 3,734
1998 3,647 5 3,642
1997 3,039 0 3,039
1996 2,741 0 2,741
1995 2,474 0 2,474
1994 2,175 0 2,175
1993 1,903 5 1,898
1992 1,949 0 1,949
1991 1,826 7 1,819
1990 1,866 11 1,855
1989 1,691 20 1,671
1988 1,453 7 1,446
1987 1,345 10 1,335
1986 1,317 10 1,307
1985 1,192 5 1,187
1984 979 0 979
1983 857 0 857
1982 815 0 815
1981 680 0 680
1980 567 0 567
1979 539 0 539
1978 481 0 481
1977 472 0 472
1976 377 0 377
1975 397 9 388
1974 367 0 367
1973 412 5 407
1972 274 0 274
1971 297 0 297
1970 341 0 341
1969 383 6 377
1968 359 6 353
1967 389 0 389
1966 504 5 499
1965 526 0 526
1964 612 5 607
1963 676 0 676
1962 814 7 807
1961 811 0 811
1960 899 0 899
1959 1,008 13 995
1958 968 6 962
1957 1,041 11 1,030
1956 998 13 985
1955 1,001 8 993
1954 1,055 24 1,031
1953 1,105 15 1,090
1952 1,100 22 1,078
1951 1,081 21 1,060
1950 1,056 18 1,038
1949 1,107 17 1,090
1948 1,042 19 1,023
1947 1,202 22 1,180
1946 1,132 17 1,115
1945 936 20 916
1944 1,024 18 1,006
1943 1,025 24 1,001
1942 1,063 36 1,027
1941 983 30 953
1940 983 33 950
1939 956 25 931
1938 1,101 27 1,074
1937 995 36 959
1936 1,123 40 1,083
1935 1,163 39 1,124
1934 1,353 44 1,309
1933 1,409 37 1,372
1932 1,544 38 1,506
1931 1,692 65 1,627
1930 1,702 48 1,654
1929 1,759 60 1,699
1928 1,797 63 1,734
1927 1,901 65 1,836
1926 1,730 51 1,679
1925 1,569 66 1,503
1924 1,650 67 1,583
1923 1,467 75 1,392
1922 1,405 66 1,339
1921 1,281 71 1,210
1920 1,091 72 1,019
1919 998 45 953
1918 1,135 63 1,072
1917 988 62 926
1916 903 65 838
1915 860 51 809
1914 605 35 570
1913 526 36 490
1912 468 28 440
1911 347 14 333
1910 286 12 274
1909 269 10 259
1908 249 14 235
1907 225 19 206
1906 223 10 213
1905 203 19 184
1904 170 7 163
1903 175 11 164
1902 163 7 156
1901 127 5 122
1900 163 7 156
1899 132 11 121
1898 142 9 133
1897 113 8 105
1896 117 11 106
1895 118 0 118
1894 103 7 96
1893 97 5 92
1892 86 0 86
1891 84 0 84
1890 78 6 72
1889 62 0 62
1888 73 0 73
1887 58 0 58
1886 66 5 61
1885 57 8 49
1884 33 0 33
1883 38 0 38
1882 30 0 30
1881 23 0 23
1880 21 0 21

Top States for Claire (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 316
10%
TX 278
8%
NY 169
5%
FL 165
5%
OH 160
5%
PA 151
5%
IL 130
4%
NC 127
4%
MI 118
4%
NJ 99
3%
VA 96
3%
MA 96
3%
UT 91
3%
GA 87
3%
IN 86
3%
MO 80
2%
WI 67
2%
TN 67
2%
WA 66
2%
MN 60
2%
MD 52
2%
KS 52
2%
KY 50
2%
AZ 49
1%
CO 49
1%
LA 45
1%
SC 42
1%
AL 40
1%
OK 39
1%
IA 38
1%
AR 37
1%
OR 36
1%
ID 33
1%
CT 32
1%
NE 25
1%
NH 23
1%
ME 20
1%
WV 19
1%
NM 18
1%
NV 17
1%
MS 15
0%
DC 14
0%
ND 12
0%
RI 11
0%
SD 11
0%
MT 9
0%
AK 8
0%
DE 8
0%
WY 7
0%