Clare
Girl name · English · German · Latin
Meaningbright, clear · Latin
- US rank
- #924
- Syllables
- 1
- Peak
- #320 in 1884
283 babies were named Clare in the US in 2025. It has dropped 94 places in five years.
Found on lists
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US births per million girls, 1880–2025
US births per million boys, 1880–2025
Most popular states (2025)
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Clare you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Clare
Clare Hollingworth
British journalist (1911-2017)
Choose Clare and your child shares a first name with Clare Hollingworth, a British journalist. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Clare, like who?” Clare Hollingworth's Wikipedia article is available in 30 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Clare Hollingworth on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)- How commonAbout 1 in every 5,679 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Clare, 283 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Clare would very likely be the only one.
- HistoryClare has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Clares, and counting.
- Best yearIts best year was 1884, when it reached #320.
- TrendClare has slipped 94 places over the last five years and now sits at #924. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
- Where it's lovedClare is most popular in Maryland, where it ranks #354, followed by Massachusetts (#395) and Kansas (#497). It's in the top 1,000 in 16 states.
- MeaningIn Latin, Clare means “bright, clear”. Our records link it to English, German and Latin roots.
About the name Clare
Clare is a girl name of English, German and Latin origin meaning “bright, clear”. It has 5 letters and 1 syllable, starting with C and ending in “-are”. US birth records list Clare for girls from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1884, when it ranked #320 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #924, with 283 babies.
Origin:English namesGerman namesLatin names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 209 | 4,776 girls |
| 1890s | 204 | 4,905 girls |
| 1900s | 208 | 4,817 girls |
| 1910s | 206 | 4,859 girls |
| 1920s | 196 | 5,109 girls |
| 1930s | 176 | 5,670 girls |
| 1940s | 147 | 6,793 girls |
| 1950s | 150 | 6,679 girls |
| 1960s | 120 | 8,318 girls |
| 1970s | 70 | 14,298 girls |
| 1980s | 118 | 8,468 girls |
| 1990s | 221 | 4,518 girls |
| 2000s | 238 | 4,202 girls |
| 2010s | 216 | 4,637 girls |
| 2020s | 178 | 5,609 girls |
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 82 | 12,234 boys |
| 1890s | 98 | 10,213 boys |
| 1900s | 103 | 9,694 boys |
| 1910s | 95 | 10,536 boys |
| 1920s | 77 | 12,908 boys |
| 1930s | 47 | 21,409 boys |
| 1940s | 25 | 40,112 boys |
| 1950s | 12 | 83,472 boys |
| 1960s | 4.6 | 217,865 boys |
| 1970s | 2.3 | 438,596 boys |
| 1980s | 0.3 | 4,000,000 boys |
| 1990s | 0.3 | 3,846,154 boys |
More English girl names
- Girl name: Olivia · olive tree
- Girl name: Charlotte · free
- Unisex name: Harper · harp player
- Girl name: Elizabeth · God is my oath
- Girl name: Lily · lily flower
- Girl name: Lucy · light
- Girl name: Lainey · possibly light
- Girl name: Scarlett · scarlet red
Questions about the name Clare
What does the name Clare mean?
Clare means “bright, clear” in Latin.
What is the origin of the name Clare?
Clare has English, German, Latin roots in our records. Other English names include Olivia, Charlotte, Harper.
Is Clare a boy or girl name?
Clare is a girl name.
How popular is the name Clare?
Clare ranked #924 for US girls in 2025, given to 283 babies. Its best year was 1884 (#320).