Clare Girl

Popularity: #669 · Trend: ↘ Falling

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

Origin: Latin; Irish

Meaning: Latin: bright; Irish: clear, famous

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Clare has its roots in the Latin name "Clara," which means "bright" or "clear." This name was derived from the Latin adjective "clarus," which carries similar meanings. The transition from Latin to English occurred through Old French, where "Clara" evolved into "Clare" or "Claire," particularly during the Norman Conquest of England in the 11th century, when many Latin names were adapted into the vernacular through French influence.

Historically, the name Clare has been associated with several notable figures. One of the most significant is Saint Clare of Assisi, who founded the Order of Poor Ladies, known today as the Poor Clares, in the early 13th century.

Her life and work were influential in the development of monasticism for women, and she was canonized in 1255. The name also appears in various historical texts and documents throughout the Middle Ages, often linked to noble families and saints, which helped to solidify its presence in Christian contexts.

Culturally, the name Clare has been embraced in various traditions and has often been associated with qualities such as purity and brightness, reflecting its etymological roots. The name has been used in literature and art, symbolizing clarity and enlightenment.

Additionally, diminutive forms such as "Clara" have also been prevalent, particularly in the context of classical music and literature, further enriching the name's cultural significance. Overall, Clare has maintained a lasting resonance in various cultures, embodying ideals of clarity and brightness throughout its historical journey.

Famous people named Clare

In this section, you will find notable people named Clare. 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 Clare who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Clare 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.

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

Clare Balding is a broadcaster and journalist best known for her work with the BBC and covering major sporting events.

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

Clare Higgins is an actress best known for Hellraiser, The Golden Compass, and The Secret Garden.

Clare Maguire is a singer-songwriter best known for her albums Light After Dark and Strange Birds.

Fictional characters named Clare

The following list of fictional characters named Clare 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.

Clare is a fictional character from the manga and anime series Claymore. She is a powerful warrior known for her determination to protect humanity from monstrous creatures called Yoma.

Sibling suggestions

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

ClaireClaraCatherineCeciliaCoraCharlotteCassandra

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Clare. 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.

ClaudiaCleaClementineCleoCeliaCarmineCynthia

U.S. Historical Usage

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

Clare has ranked as high as #953 nationally, which occurred in 1999, and has been most popular in New York, Pennsylvania, California, Michigan, and Illinois.

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

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Clare 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 Clare 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 Clare.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 283 0 283
2024 277 0 277
2023 260 0 260
2022 257 0 257
2021 329 0 329
2020 329 0 329
2019 344 0 344
2018 357 0 357
2017 315 0 315
2016 394 0 394
2015 389 0 389
2014 387 0 387
2013 377 0 377
2012 379 0 379
2011 414 0 414
2010 421 0 421
2009 405 0 405
2008 453 0 453
2007 473 0 473
2006 439 0 439
2005 412 0 412
2004 419 0 419
2003 417 0 417
2002 433 0 433
2001 460 0 460
2000 485 0 485
1999 512 5 507
1998 510 0 510
1997 446 0 446
1996 450 0 450
1995 388 0 388
1994 355 0 355
1993 328 0 328
1992 323 0 323
1991 323 0 323
1990 338 0 338
1989 284 5 279
1988 253 0 253
1987 249 0 249
1986 212 0 212
1985 208 0 208
1984 210 0 210
1983 170 0 170
1982 184 0 184
1981 143 0 143
1980 131 0 131
1979 130 0 130
1978 128 5 123
1977 123 8 115
1976 121 5 116
1975 117 7 110
1974 104 0 104
1973 110 0 110
1972 77 0 77
1971 81 6 75
1970 123 7 116
1969 115 0 115
1968 132 0 132
1967 159 10 149
1966 177 10 167
1965 189 9 180
1964 250 7 243
1963 299 13 286
1962 331 13 318
1961 347 13 334
1960 337 16 321
1959 330 17 313
1958 355 22 333
1957 317 24 293
1956 290 19 271
1955 345 27 318
1954 284 23 261
1953 345 22 323
1952 268 20 248
1951 287 32 255
1950 298 33 265
1949 282 37 245
1948 253 30 223
1947 309 42 267
1946 280 39 241
1945 251 34 217
1944 258 33 225
1943 248 36 212
1942 205 42 163
1941 205 43 162
1940 201 28 173
1939 193 37 156
1938 193 50 143
1937 215 47 168
1936 208 41 167
1935 205 38 167
1934 237 49 188
1933 244 45 199
1932 294 68 226
1931 293 59 234
1930 290 59 231
1929 272 64 208
1928 309 78 231
1927 314 73 241
1926 324 83 241
1925 348 94 254
1924 301 84 217
1923 331 91 240
1922 320 91 229
1921 333 92 241
1920 340 103 237
1919 321 88 233
1918 341 86 255
1917 276 87 189
1916 300 85 215
1915 248 77 171
1914 244 75 169
1913 163 50 113
1912 164 32 132
1911 110 26 84
1910 112 18 94
1909 97 24 73
1908 84 14 70
1907 69 14 55
1906 72 13 59
1905 81 14 67
1904 71 12 59
1903 69 12 57
1902 72 15 57
1901 59 12 47
1900 73 10 63
1899 53 16 37
1898 67 8 59
1897 55 7 48
1896 72 19 53
1895 56 9 47
1894 73 17 56
1893 46 16 30
1892 66 10 56
1891 39 5 34
1890 40 5 35
1889 45 11 34
1888 55 12 43
1887 43 12 31
1886 35 9 26
1885 35 8 27
1884 48 10 38
1883 34 12 22
1882 29 8 21
1881 20 0 20
1880 23 8 15

Top States for Clare (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
NY 25
11%
PA 18
8%
TX 18
8%
IL 14
6%
VA 13
6%
MI 13
6%
FL 12
5%
CA 12
5%
NC 11
5%
NJ 11
5%
OH 11
5%
IN 10
4%
MD 10
4%
WI 8
3%
KS 8
3%
MA 7
3%
CO 7
3%
WA 6
3%
MN 6
3%
MO 5
2%
GA 5
2%
TN 5
2%