Clarice
Clarice was the 3111th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 52 babies. Its best year was 1913, when it ranked 258th; the most babies were born in 1921 (600). Over the last ten years it has moved up 556 places. More babies were named Clarice in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning "bright, shining" · French, Latin
Say it KLAIR-is /ˈklɛrɪs/
- Rank in 2025
- #3,111 girls, up 914 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 52girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1921600 babies
- Total since 1880
- 25,570babies recorded
What does the name Clarice mean?
Clarice is the English form of French Clarisse, from Clarissa, which comes from Latin clara, "clear, bright". DMNES glosses Clarice as "a shining, gleaming" and notes Clarice Orsini, wife of Lorenzo de' Medici. Wikipedia adds that it has also served as a feminine of Clarence. Clarice was most common in the US in the 1910s to 1930s.
clara (Latin, “clear, bright”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Clarissa, Clara, Clare, Clarisse.
See also: Latin names, names that mean light.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Clarice', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Clarice', DMNES (Durham University)
- Wikipedia, 'Clarice', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Clarice popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 96 since 1911.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #3,111 | 52 |
| 2020 | #4,025 | 35 |
| 2010 | #4,215 | 35 |
| 2000 | #2,243 | 70 |
| 1990 | #1,956 | 70 |
| 1980 | #1,571 | 74 |
| 1970 | #1,332 | 79 |
| 1960 | #790 | 168 |
| 1950 | #532 | 243 |
| 1940 | #374 | 309 |
| 1930 | #279 | 536 |
| 1920 | #277 | 553 |
| 1910 | #287 | 182 |
| 1900 | #312 | 113 |
| 1890 | #561 | 22 |
| 1880 | #588 | 9 |
How popular is Clarice, counting every spelling?
Clarice has no other common spelling that sounds the same.
How many kids will share the name Clarice?
52 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Clarice (0.01 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Clarice 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 161 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Clarice.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Clarice?
About 8,900 people born in the US named Clarice are alive today, with a median age of 65; half are between 39 and 78. That makes Clarice a name most people associate with older generations. 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.
Clarice by state
How common Clarice was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. In 48 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 Clarice: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Clarice, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Clarice · Sibling names for Clarice
Questions about the name Clarice
What does Clarice mean?
Clarice means “"bright, shining"” (French, Latin origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Clarice?
Clarice was the 3111th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 52 babies. Its best year was 1913, when it ranked 258th; the most babies were born in 1921 (600). Over the last ten years it has moved up 556 places. More babies were named Clarice in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Clarice a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Clarice in the US.
Where is Clarice most popular?
In 2021–2025, Clarice was most common in California (0.03 per 1,000 girls), followed by Texas and Florida.