Claris
A feminine name derived from the French word "clair" meaning "clear, bright, or light".
Name Census estimates that about 164 living Americans carry the first name Claris. It is a predominantly female name (92.7% of registrations). The average person named Claris today is around 69 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Claris births was 1918 (45 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Claris. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Claris is about 69 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Claris' were born before 1967.
People living today
164
~ 1 in 2,089,965 Americans
Peak year
1918
45 babies that year
Average age
69
years old
1940 SSA rank
#3,538
Tracked since 1899
Gender
Gender distribution for Claris
Claris leans heavily female at 92.7% of total registrations, but 77 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Claris as a male name
- Ranked #3,538 in 1940
- 5 male births in 1940
- Peak: 1928 (9 births)
Claris as a female name
- Ranked #12,523 in 2022
- 7 female births in 2022
- Peak: 1918 (38 births)
Popularity
Claris: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Claris from the 1890s through to the 2020s, spanning 10 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 346 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Claris by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Claris during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Claris' live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. Indiana, Arkansas, California recorded the most babies named Claris, while West Virginia, Kentucky, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 6 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Claris
The given name Claris has its origins in Latin, derived from the word "clarus" which means bright, clear, or illustrious. This name was initially used in ancient Rome, often given to children born during the day or to those with a bright complexion.
Claris was a relatively uncommon name during the Roman era, but it gained some prominence in the early Christian period. One notable figure from this time was Saint Claris, a 4th-century martyr who was executed for her faith during the Diocletian persecution. Her feast day is celebrated on December 3rd in the Catholic Church.
In the Middle Ages, the name Claris was occasionally used in various parts of Europe, particularly in France and Italy. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name dates back to the 11th century, when a French noblewoman named Claris de Montfort was mentioned in historical records.
During the Renaissance period, the name Claris saw a resurgence in popularity, especially among the intellectuals and artists of the time. One notable figure from this era was Claris de Merode, a 16th-century Flemish painter known for her portraits and religious works.
In the 17th century, Claris Delamarre, a French botanist and naturalist, made significant contributions to the study of plants and their medicinal properties. She is credited with the discovery of several new plant species and the publication of a comprehensive herbal encyclopedia.
Moving into the 19th century, Claris Delaunay was a French mathematician and astronomer who made important contributions to the study of celestial mechanics and the calculation of planetary orbits. She was also one of the first women to be admitted to the French Academy of Sciences.
Another notable figure from the 19th century was Claris von Arnim, a German writer and poet who was part of the Romantic movement. Her works often explored themes of love, nature, and the human condition, and she is considered a significant figure in German literature.
While the name Claris has become less common in recent times, it still holds a rich historical significance and has been borne by many notable individuals throughout the centuries.
People
Claris + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Claris as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Claris: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Claris?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 164 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Claris going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 2,089,965 US residents.
Is Claris a common name?
We classify Claris as "Very Rare". It ranks above 71.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,062 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Claris most popular?
The single biggest year for Claris was 1918, when 45 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Claris is about 69 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Claris a female name?
Yes, 92.7% of people registered as Claris in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.