Clare
Clare was the 924th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 283 babies. Its best year was 1884, when it ranked 320th; the most babies were born in 1998 (510). Over the last ten years it has moved down 193 places. More babies were named Clare in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Claire) clear, bright · French, Latin
- Rank in 2025
- #924 girls, down 93 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 283girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1998510 babies
- Total since 1880
- 34,510babies recorded
What does the name Clare mean?
Clare is a spelling of Claire, pronounced the same way, so it shares Claire's meaning and origin.
Claire is the French form of Clara, from Latin clara, the feminine of clarus, 'clear, bright, famous'. Saint Clare of Assisi, the 13th-century follower of Saint Francis who founded the order of Poor Clares, made the name widespread; DMNES lists her under Clara. The medieval English form was Clare, and Wiktionary notes that the French spelling Claire became the more common one in English in the 20th century. Clare is also an Irish county and an English place name with unrelated origins.
clārus (Latin, “clear, bright, famous”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Clare, Clara, Clair, Chiara, Klara.
See also: Latin names, names that mean light, names that mean fame.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Claire', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wiktionary, entry 'Clare', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Clara', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
Clare popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 3,054 since 1880.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #924 | 283 |
| 2020 | #831 | 329 |
| 2010 | #681 | 421 |
| 2000 | #535 | 485 |
| 1990 | #657 | 338 |
| 1980 | #1,078 | 131 |
| 1970 | #1,052 | 116 |
| 1960 | #538 | 321 |
| 1950 | #496 | 265 |
| 1940 | #522 | 173 |
| 1930 | #445 | 231 |
| 1920 | #435 | 237 |
| 1910 | #407 | 94 |
| 1900 | #424 | 63 |
| 1890 | #431 | 35 |
| 1880 | #435 | 15 |
How popular is Clare, counting every spelling?
Clare is a spelling of Claire, a name family that ranked #71 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #924 for Clare on its own. Together these spellings went to 3,861 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claire | 3,487 | #68 | 17,108 |
| Clare | 283 | #924 | 1,406 |
| Klaire | 56 | #2,977 | 303 |
| Clair | 29 | #4,680 | 131 |
| Klair | 6 | #14,118 | 32 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Clare?
283 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Clare (0.08 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Clare born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 30 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Clare.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Clare?
About 22,600 people born in the US named Clare are alive today, with a median age of 30; half are between 17 and 58. That makes Clare mostly worn by children and young adults. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Clare by state
How common Clare was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Massachusetts (2.9×), Kansas (2.7×), Wisconsin (2.5×), Maryland (2.5×), Pennsylvania (2.2×). In 23 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Clare: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Clare, they share its era and feel.
Clare is also a nickname for Clara.
Questions about the name Clare
What does Clare mean?
Clare is a spelling of Claire, which means “clear, bright” (French, Latin origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Clare?
Clare was the 924th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 283 babies. Its best year was 1884, when it ranked 320th; the most babies were born in 1998 (510). Over the last ten years it has moved down 193 places. More babies were named Clare in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Clare a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Clare in the US.
Where is Clare most popular?
In 2021–2025, Clare was most common in Massachusetts (0.50 per 1,000 girls), followed by Kansas and Wisconsin.