Claire first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Claire has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Claire

A feminine name of French origin derived from the Latin "clara" meaning "bright" or "clear".

Popularity of Claire by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Claire is more commonly used as a female name, with approximately 100% of people named Claire being female.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 3,195 female babies and 0 male babies born with the name Claire.

Year Male Count Female Count
2023 0 3,195
2022 0 3,365
2021 5 3,700
2020 0 3,834
2019 0 4,128
2018 0 4,404
2017 5 4,700
2016 0 5,215
2015 0 4,835
2014 0 5,015
2013 0 4,660
2012 0 4,944
2011 0 4,899
2010 0 4,916
2009 7 4,825
2008 7 4,600
2007 7 4,612
2006 0 4,013
2005 7 3,293
2004 11 3,333
2003 0 3,571
2002 0 3,405
2001 0 3,642
2000 0 3,711
1999 0 3,734
1998 5 3,641
1997 0 3,039
1996 0 2,738
1995 0 2,474
1994 0 2,175
1993 5 1,896
1992 0 1,949
1991 7 1,819
1990 11 1,853
1989 20 1,672
1988 7 1,446
1987 10 1,334
1986 10 1,306
1985 5 1,188
1984 0 979
1983 0 858
1982 0 814
1981 0 680
1980 0 567
1979 0 542
1978 0 481
1977 0 472
1976 0 376
1975 9 388
1974 0 367

The history of the first name Claire

The name Claire has its origins in the Latin word "clarus", which means "clear" or "bright". It is a feminine form of the masculine name Clarus or Clario. The name first appeared in ancient Rome during the Roman Empire.

Claire is derived from the French form of the name, which was popularized in medieval France. It is believed that the first recorded use of the name Claire was in the 12th century, referring to St. Clare of Assisi, an Italian nun and one of the first followers of St. Francis of Assisi. She was born in 1194 and founded the Order of Poor Ladies, now known as the Poor Clares.

Throughout history, there have been several notable women named Claire. One of the most famous was Claire of Rimini, an Italian noblewoman who lived in the 13th century. She was immortalized in Dante's "Divine Comedy" for her tragic love affair with Paolo Malatesta.

In the 16th century, Claire Clémence de Maillé-Brézé was a French courtier and the mistress of King Henry IV of France. She was known for her intelligence and political influence at the French court.

Claire Clairmont was an English writer and the stepsister of Mary Shelley, the author of "Frankenstein". She was born in 1798 and had an affair with Lord Byron, resulting in a daughter.

Another notable Claire was Claire Waldoff, a German actress and cabaret singer who was popular in the 1920s and 1930s. She was born in 1884 and is remembered for her comedic performances and risqué songs.

In the 20th century, Claire Booth Luce was an American writer, politician, and ambassador. Born in 1903, she was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and the first American woman to hold a major ambassadorial post.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Claire was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Claire, please contact us.

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"Claire first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 13, 2024. http://namecensus.com/first-names/claire-meaning-and-history/.

"Claire first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/first-names/claire-meaning-and-history/. Accessed 13 December, 2024

Claire first name popularity, history and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/first-names/claire-meaning-and-history/.

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