Girl name · Latin
Claire
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: clear, brightClaire is a girl's name that comes from Latin and means "clear, bright". It is used in English and French.
- Meaning
- Clear, bright
- Origin
- Latin
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #68 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Claire
As a girl's name, Claire comes from Latin and means "clear, bright". It is used in English and French.
In French, say KLAIR. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Its meaning puts Claire on our names that mean light list.
Meaning checked against Behind the Name. How we research names
Claire on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Claire on 3 lists.
“Clear, bright; Latin. Say KLAIR”
From French girl names, classic French girl names
“Clear, bright; Latin. Clean and graceful”
From Girl middle names, classic girl middle names
“Clear, bright; French form of a Latin name”
From Names that mean light, names that mean bright or shining
How popular is Claire?
- US rank in 2025
- #68
- 3,487 babies, 2,170 per million girls
- Best rank
- #40 in 2016
- 5,216 babies that year
- Babies since 1880
- At least 211,919
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 341 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 456 per million |
| 1900s | 635 per million |
| 1910s | 822 per million |
| 1920s | 1,254 per million |
| 1930s | 1,185 per million |
| 1940s | 708 per million |
| 1950s | 534 per million |
| 1960s | 325 per million |
| 1970s | 255 per million |
| 1980s | 631 per million |
| 1990s | 1,407 per million |
| 2000s | 2,111 per million |
| 2010s | 2,727 per million |
| 2020s | 2,153 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #40 | #49 | #50 | #55 | #58 | #59 | #66 | #68 | #67 | #68 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Other forms of Claire
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
Names with a similar meaning
- RobertBright fame (Germanic, boy)
- BertaBright, famous (Germanic, girl)
- LambertBright land (Germanic, boy)
- MurielBright sea (Scottish Gaelic, girl)
- RobertaBright fame (Germanic, girl)
- AlbertNoble and bright (Germanic, boy)
- AlbertoNoble and bright (Germanic, boy)
- HubertBright heart (Germanic, boy)
- RobertoBright fame (Germanic, boy)
- RoxanaBright, shining (Persian, girl)
Middle names for Claire
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More girl names from Latin
- LauraLaurel tree (Latin, girl)
- OliviaOlive tree (Latin, girl)
- CarinaDear, beloved (Latin, girl)
- EmiliaRival, striving to equal (Latin, girl)
- FloraFlower, blossom (Latin, girl)
- MarinaOf the sea (Latin, girl)
- ReginaQueen (Latin, girl)
- ValentinaStrong, healthy (Latin, girl)
- CelesteHeavenly, of the sky (Latin, girl)
- DianaDivine, heavenly (Latin, girl)
Claire: common questions
What does the name Claire mean?
Claire comes from Latin and means "clear, bright". Checked against Behind the Name.
Is Claire a boy or girl name?
Claire is mainly a girl's name.
Where does the name Claire come from?
Claire comes from Latin and means "clear, bright". Today it is used in English and French.
How popular is the name Claire?
Claire ranked #68 in the US in 2025, with 3,487 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Claire?
Forms of Claire with the same meaning and origin include Chiara (Italian), Clair (Portuguese), Clara (English), Clarissa (English) and Clarisse (French).
What middle names go with Claire?
Middle names that flow well with Claire include Blair, Gwen, Honor, Joan and Lily. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.