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Clara Name Meaning, Origins & History

Clara

Pronunciation: KLAIR-uh

Meaning Brilliant, bright Origin Latin Gender Girl
GIRLS RANK
#63
TREND
15
Peak Years
1918, 1917, 1921
Lowest Years
1978, 1977, 1983
Energy Archetype
Cheerful & Expressive

Rank shows the name’s position among U.S. baby names for each gender in 2025. Trend shows how many places it rose or fell since 2024. Rank 1 is the most popular. Based on U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) data. Peak and lowest years are based on the number of girls named Clara in the available records.

Fun Facts About the Name Clara

  • Back among the favorites: Clara returned to the U.S. top 100 in 1883 and stayed there for 3 consecutive years, through 2025.
  • More than 301 thousand babies named Clara: U.S. records list 301,515 babies given the name Clara from 1880 through 2025. Even 1,016 boys received the name Clara - about 1 boy for every 296 girls.

What Does the Name Clara Mean?

Clara is a feminine name of Latin origin. It comes from the Latin adjective clarus, whose feminine form is clara, meaning clear, bright, or distinct. In Latin, clarus could also describe someone as illustrious or famous, so the name is often understood more fully as clear, bright, famous. The name is not a compound of separate elements; its meaning rests on the Latin adjective. The sense famous is an extension of the idea of being bright or conspicuous rather than a separate root.

Clara Name History & Origins

Clara developed from the Latin adjective clarus and its feminine form clara. It was used in Latin-speaking Europe and is closely associated with Saint Clare of Assisi (1194 - 1253). Born Chiara Offreduccio, she is called Clara in Latin and Chiara in Italian; she founded the women's Franciscan order known as the Poor Clares. Across Europe, the name appears as Claire in French, Chiara in Italian, Klara in German and Scandinavian languages, and Clare in English. Clara itself is used in English and is the standard form in Spanish, Portuguese, German, and several other languages. English has both Clare and Clara; Clare is the English form that developed from French Claire, ultimately from Latin Clara, while Clara is also used in English as a Latin form.

In the 19th century, the name was borne by Clara Barton (1821 - 1912), founder of the American Red Cross, and Clara Schumann (1819 - 1896), the German pianist and composer. In literature, Clara appears in Johanna Spyri's Heidi (1880) and is the name of the heroine in many productions of the ballet The Nutcracker, though in E. T. A. Hoffmann's original story the girl is named Marie. These literary uses are later than the name's medieval and religious history.

How Popular is the Name Clara?

Clara has a rich multi-era history in the U.S. top 100, spanning 66 total years and enjoying its modern revival from 2023 to 2025.

U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.

Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.

Explore Name Lists Featuring Clara

Carl appears in several baby name collections based on U.S. popularity records, naming trends, and name characteristics. Explore these lists to discover other names with similar histories, styles, or features.

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How the Name Clara Shapes Your Personality and Life?

You are cheerful and friendly, but are apt to have an emotional life. You like to have several lines of effort going at once. You are a good talker and promoter and seldom worry over anything. At times, you can be impatient, and impulsive. You have the ability to bring an idea to completion. You can express yourself joyously and constructively. You might be psychic, but not know it. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.

Position and social status is very important for you and you are always looking for way to improve your position in society. You have power and ability to chose your own destiny and achieve anything you want in life. You can expand in any direction according to your will and the set of values. You have passion for justice and belong to the position of authority. You have an inherent courage and endurance to accomplish "The Impossible Dream". With the power comes responsibility. You hold keys to the material world, but with this gift comes high spiritual responsibility to be fair and true to others. You are philosophical and mature, determined and intense with a desire to endure, often religious.

✦ Clara's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Clara's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.
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