Girl nameCurrently #78 in the USSteady
Clara
KLAR-uh//ˈklɑːrə//
2 syllablesPeak year: 19185 lettersStarts with C
Meaning & origin
Clear, bright
Clara comes from the Latin 'clarus', meaning clear, bright, or famous, and honors Saint Clare of Assisi, founder of the Poor Clares. A Victorian favorite, it has enjoyed a strong revival in the 21st century for its simple, luminous quality.
Clara's popularity over time
| Year | Births named Clara |
|---|---|
| 1880 | 1,234 |
| 1881 | 1,247 |
| 1882 | 1,490 |
| 1883 | 1,557 |
| 1884 | 1,864 |
| 1885 | 1,916 |
| 1886 | 1,931 |
| 1887 | 1,993 |
| 1888 | 2,240 |
| 1889 | 2,328 |
| 1890 | 2,496 |
| 1891 | 2,370 |
| 1892 | 2,673 |
| 1893 | 2,541 |
| 1894 | 2,612 |
| 1895 | 2,624 |
| 1896 | 2,596 |
| 1897 | 2,454 |
| 1898 | 2,731 |
| 1899 | 2,448 |
| 1900 | 2,838 |
| 1901 | 2,335 |
| 1902 | 2,440 |
| 1903 | 2,352 |
| 1904 | 2,294 |
| 1905 | 2,405 |
| 1906 | 2,239 |
| 1907 | 2,331 |
| 1908 | 2,364 |
| 1909 | 2,415 |
| 1910 | 2,678 |
| 1911 | 2,702 |
| 1912 | 3,492 |
| 1913 | 3,642 |
| 1914 | 4,255 |
| 1915 | 5,305 |
| 1916 | 5,564 |
| 1917 | 5,643 |
| 1918 | 5,800 |
| 1919 | 5,421 |
| 1920 | 5,486 |
| 1921 | 5,627 |
| 1922 | 5,144 |
| 1923 | 5,149 |
| 1924 | 5,006 |
| 1925 | 4,798 |
| 1926 | 4,486 |
| 1927 | 4,386 |
| 1928 | 4,132 |
| 1929 | 4,178 |
| 1930 | 4,156 |
| 1931 | 3,928 |
| 1932 | 3,592 |
| 1933 | 3,430 |
| 1934 | 3,244 |
| 1935 | 3,081 |
| 1936 | 2,705 |
| 1937 | 2,591 |
| 1938 | 2,678 |
| 1939 | 2,467 |
| 1940 | 2,327 |
| 1941 | 2,312 |
| 1942 | 2,255 |
| 1943 | 2,097 |
| 1944 | 1,938 |
| 1945 | 1,800 |
| 1946 | 1,924 |
| 1947 | 1,935 |
| 1948 | 1,800 |
| 1949 | 1,716 |
| 1950 | 1,577 |
| 1951 | 1,549 |
| 1952 | 1,511 |
| 1953 | 1,389 |
| 1954 | 1,185 |
| 1955 | 1,305 |
| 1956 | 1,157 |
| 1957 | 1,109 |
| 1958 | 1,027 |
| 1959 | 992 |
| 1960 | 914 |
| 1961 | 878 |
| 1962 | 798 |
| 1963 | 755 |
| 1964 | 699 |
| 1965 | 569 |
| 1966 | 551 |
| 1967 | 520 |
| 1968 | 413 |
| 1969 | 417 |
| 1970 | 358 |
| 1971 | 344 |
| 1972 | 367 |
| 1973 | 332 |
| 1974 | 317 |
| 1975 | 337 |
| 1976 | 314 |
| 1977 | 297 |
| 1978 | 287 |
| 1979 | 342 |
| 1980 | 399 |
| 1981 | 321 |
| 1982 | 327 |
| 1983 | 315 |
| 1984 | 319 |
| 1985 | 357 |
| 1986 | 388 |
| 1987 | 406 |
| 1988 | 421 |
| 1989 | 432 |
| 1990 | 472 |
| 1991 | 529 |
| 1992 | 536 |
| 1993 | 596 |
| 1994 | 592 |
| 1995 | 661 |
| 1996 | 669 |
| 1997 | 654 |
| 1998 | 768 |
| 1999 | 794 |
| 2000 | 879 |
| 2001 | 958 |
| 2002 | 1,031 |
| 2003 | 1,059 |
| 2004 | 1,170 |
| 2005 | 1,331 |
| 2006 | 1,502 |
| 2007 | 1,554 |
| 2008 | 1,654 |
| 2009 | 1,649 |
| 2010 | 1,842 |
| 2011 | 2,085 |
| 2012 | 2,335 |
| 2013 | 2,508 |
| 2014 | 2,860 |
| 2015 | 3,070 |
| 2016 | 3,080 |
| 2017 | 3,044 |
| 2018 | 2,892 |
| 2019 | 2,955 |
| 2020 | 2,696 |
| 2021 | 2,693 |
| 2022 | 2,552 |
| 2023 | 2,661 |
| 2024 | 3,060 |
Clara through the decades
- Clara peaked in 1918, when 5,800 babies were named Clara in the US.
- The 1920s were Clara's strongest decade, averaging 4,839 births a year.
- Over the last 10 years of data (2015–2024), use of Clara has risen 49% compared to the 10 years before that.
- Clara currently ranks #78 in the US and is holding steady.
Nicknames
Clara
Variants & spellings
ClaireClare
Famous people named Clara
- Clara Barton — founder of the American Red Cross