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Clare as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Clare

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The baby name Clare is a Female name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced /klɛər/ (KLAIR).

Clare is English, Latin in Origin.

Gender: Female
Syllables: 1.0
Origin: English, Latin
Pronunciation: /klɛər/ (KLAIR)

What is the meaning of the name Clare ?

The baby name Clare is a Female name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced /klɛər/ (KLAIR).

Clare is English, Latin in Origin.

Clare is the English medieval feminine form of Latin Clara, from clarus, "clear, bright, famous." Through Old French clair(e) it entered English, yielding parallel spellings Clare and Claire. International variants include Clara (Spanish/Portuguese/Latin), Claire (French/English), Chiara (Italian), Klara (German, Slavic, Scandinavian), with diminutives such as Clary, Clairette, and Clarita; elaborations include Clarice and Clarissa. The name is typically feminine but appears occasionally as unisex in English via the spelling Clair.

Its profile rose in Europe after Saint Clare of Assisi (1194–1253), whose Poor Clares spread the name and its luminous associations. In England and Ireland, Clare was used from the Middle Ages, revived in the 19th century, and peaked again in the later 20th; Claire dominated in France and the United States, while Clara has cycled in and out of fashion. The surname and Irish county Clare are etymologically unrelated.

Clare has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Clare

Clare Boothe Luce Actor · Born 1903 · United States Clare Boothe Luce was a prominent American playwright, journalist, and politician, best known for her play 'The Women'. She also served as the U.S. Ambassador to Italy and was a trailblazer for women in politics during her time. Clare Torry Musician · Born 1947 · United Kingdom Clare Torry is a British musician best known for her powerful vocal performance on Pink Floyd's song 'The Great Gig in the Sky' from their album 'The Dark Side of the Moon'. Born in 1947, she has also worked with other artists and contributed to various projects in the music industry. Clare Kramer Actor · Born 1974 · United States Clare Kramer is an American actress best known for her role as Glory on the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She also appeared in the film Bring It On as Courtney, one of the cheerleaders. Her work in these projects has made her a recognizable face in the entertainment industry.
Clare Grant Actor · Born 1979 · United States Clare Grant is an American actor known for her work in film and television. She gained recognition for her role in the film 'Black Snake Moan' and has appeared in shows like 'Robot Chicken'. Clare is also known for her voice work in various animated series. Clare Carey Actor · Born 1967 · United States Clare Carey is an American actress best known for her role as Kelly Fox on the TV series Coach. She also appeared in the film Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles and had a recurring role on the series Jericho. Clare Bowen Actor · Born 1984 · Australia Clare Bowen is an Australian actor best known for her role as Scarlett O'Connor on the television series Nashville. Her performance on the show showcased her singing talent, leading to memorable performances of songs like 'If I Didn't Know Better' and 'Fade Into You'.

Clare – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Girls 2025 #1 874
FJ Girls 0 #9 1 583
BN 0 #32 1 2,297
MT 0 #43 1 1,767
MO 0 #51 2 2,706
CY 0 #60 1 1,632
LU 0 #66 1 2,830
AO 0 #77 1 2,729
CN 0 #82 5 3,857
TW 0 #86 15 4,523
JM 0 #93 1 3,714
QA 0 #101 6 7,011
PH 0 #107 4 5,607
BN Girls 0 #114 1 5,459
MT Girls 0 #115 37 3,773
CY Girls 0 #118 8 3,755
OM 0 #119 3 6,215
KW 0 #121 1 5,216
IQ 0 #132 2 3,533
GR 0 #135 1 3,911
BW Girls 0 #151 1 4,216
CR 0 #161 5 5,526
AE 0 #163 15 10,220
UY 0 #182 1 2,477
CZ 0 #186 1 3,154
LU Girls 0 #187 4 4,850
RU 0 #194 1 3,641
DK 0 #206 1 5,198
TW Girls 0 #218 59 8,139
SG 0 #226 44 11,010
IR 0 #230 2 4,221
BG Girls 0 #231 1 3,559
NA Girls 0 #233 5 7,146
MO Boys 0 #234 1 5,842
GR Girls 0 #243 7 6,293
JP Girls 0 #247 5 6,592
GH 0 #248 1 5,396
NA Boys 0 #252 2 6,830
TW Boys 0 #253 4 7,111
MO Girls 0 #260 4 7,056
Canada Girls 2024 #261 25 2,795
NG 0 #268 5 5,926
JM Girls 0 #272 7 7,507
IL 0 #282 1 6,291
CN Girls 0 #290 60 8,829
HK 0 #290 59 8,483
JM Boys 0 #293 1 6,876
QA Girls 0 #293 24 15,378
HR Girls 0 #294 1 3,687
MY 0 #297 34 12,352
SA 0 #307 6 10,560
CN Boys 0 #310 10 9,639
DK Girls 0 #328 2 7,429
PE 0 #328 2 6,350
GH Girls 0 #333 5 6,973
JO Girls 0 #338 2 7,570
CZ Girls 0 #345 7 5,378
BR 0 #360 1 5,969
MU Girls 0 #361 2 8,539
PL Girls 0 #364 1 5,096
PH Girls 0 #366 25 13,098
France Girls 1987 #370 3 1,800
NL 0 #376 16 2,481
SG Girls 0 #377 217 18,916
OM Girls 0 #385 12 15,987
YE 0 #398 1 8,639
ZA 0 #398 50 14,421
EG 0 #411 2 6,387
CL 0 #433 2 6,867
Spain 0 #437 16 2,326
HK Girls 0 #440 179 16,104
PT Girls 0 #441 11 7,952
MX 0 #443 3 8,339
AE Girls 0 #493 61 20,968
CO 0 #502 9 7,768
PS Girls 0 #514 10 10,981
PA Girls 0 #515 4 9,861
RU Girls 0 #516 8 11,913
CR Girls 0 #519 14 11,342
IQ Girls 0 #522 4 11,303
UY Girls 0 #536 1 6,731
IR Girls 0 #540 6 8,334
CM Girls 0 #553 8 11,671
HK Boys 0 #553 5 12,905
KW Girls 0 #553 9 19,177
CM Boys 0 #575 1 12,054
BH 0 #580 8 17,937
BD Boys 0 #603 3 10,045
AR Girls 0 #625 6 8,289
IL Girls 0 #638 8 11,648
United States Girls 2024 #644 276 8,487
BO Girls 0 #651 1 9,488
IN Girls 0 #652 3 13,121
NG Girls 0 #658 130 15,093
CL Boys 0 #700 1 13,390
IT 0 #700 15 4,183
Finland Girls 2026 #730 9 3,895
SG Boys 0 #737 3 17,960
BR Boys 0 #785 1 12,213
MY Girls 0 #795 200 24,821
Germany Girls 0 #803 36 4,949
KW Boys 0 #806 1 18,755
TN 0 #865 1 13,765
ZA Girls 0 #865 280 25,928
Spain Girls 0 #906 78 5,561
CL Girls 0 #907 9 14,098
SA Girls 0 #916 20 25,931
OM Boys 0 #918 1 17,948
NL Girls 0 #919 37 5,933
EG Boys 0 #925 1 15,035
EG Girls 0 #945 15 14,742
CO Boys 0 #980 2 15,656
BR Girls 0 #992 1 12,708
NG Boys 0 #999 3 16,906
PE Girls 0 #1,008 3 14,861
CO Girls 0 #1,047 32 16,140
MY Boys 0 #1,096 16 25,439
MA 0 #1,197 3 20,986
TR 0 #1,198 14 19,440
MX Girls 0 #1,264 4 17,781
ZA Boys 0 #1,266 7 25,619
IT Girls 0 #1,334 113 9,415
SA Boys 0 #1,690 2 28,008

Clare is popular in 66 countries — most recent births per country:

Ireland
Scotland, United Kingdom
Canada
United States
France

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Clare

Clare is predominantly a girl's name.
Clare is a one syllable name, pronounced /klɛər/ (KLAIR).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Claire, Clair, Clara, Clarice, Claretta and Clarey.
Yes, very popular — Clare ranked #1 in Ireland in 2025, and appears in official birth registries across 6 countries.
Clare ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2025).
Clare's popularity is holding steady. It moved from #1 in 2015 to #1 in 2025 in Ireland.
Yes — 6 notable people named Clare are in our database, including Clare Boothe Luce (Actor), Clare Torry (Musician), Clare Kramer (Actor).