girl's name
Clare
KLAIR
- Origin English
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 1
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 44,900
the United States
#924
2025 births
Clare is the older English spelling and the one the Irish county carries, and its history is British and Irish rather than American — England, Scotland and Ireland all peaked far above the United States.
- Clare is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 1999, when 512 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 11,715 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.
Clare over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 367 |
| 1890s | 567 |
| 1900s | 747 |
| 1910s | 2,279 |
| 1920s | 3,192 |
| 1930s | 2,372 |
| 1940s | 2,492 |
| 1950s | 3,119 |
| 1960s | 2,336 |
| 1970s | 1,114 |
| 1980s | 2,044 |
| 1990s | 3,973 |
| 2000s | 4,396 |
| 2010s | 3,777 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 1,735 |
What Clare means
Clare means bright or clear. The Latin clarus covers brightness, clarity of sound and fame, and the name carries all three senses at once, which is why clarity, declare and clarion all descend from it.
Where Clare comes from
Clare is the English form of the Latin clarus — bright, clear, and by extension famous, the root of clarity, declare and clarion. Clare of Assisi founded the Poor Clares alongside Francis in the thirteenth century. County Clare in Ireland is unrelated in origin, taking its name from a crossing place, and the Anglo-Norman de Clare family who gave their name to Clare in Suffolk are a third line entirely.
Clare in use
Clare peaked in the United States in 1999, when 512 babies were registered, and our data marks it stable rather than falling. Its British and Irish peaks are far larger — 216 births in England and Wales in 1996, 185 in Scotland in 1975 and 173 in Ireland in 1982. It now ranks 787th in Ireland on 4 births, 924th in the United States on 283 and 6983rd in England and Wales on 3, across 44,900 lifetime births in four of the seven markets we track.
How popular is Clare?
In 2025, Clare was given to 283 babies in the United States, ranking #924 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Clare is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Clare
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Clare also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Clare over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Clare in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Clare
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Clare — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Clare
What does the name Clare mean?
Bright or clear — the Latin clarus, which also gives clarity and clarion.
Is County Clare named for it?
No. The county takes its name from a crossing place and is unrelated.
Who was Clare of Assisi?
The founder of the Poor Clares, alongside Francis, in the thirteenth century.
Is it Clare or Claire?
Clare is the older English spelling; Claire is the French one.
How popular is the name Clare?
In 2025, Clare was given to 283 babies in the United States, ranking #924 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Clare a girl's or a boy's name?
Clare is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Clare?
Clare has 1 syllable.
When was Clare most popular?
Clare peaked in 1999, when 512 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
Is Clare a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Clare currently ranks #787 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.