Girl name · Latin
Clara
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: clear, brightClara is a girl's name that comes from Latin and means "clear, bright". It is used in English, German, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese.
- Meaning
- Clear, bright
- Origin
- Latin
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #63 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Clara
As a girl's name, Clara comes from Latin and means "clear, bright". It is used in English, German, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese.
In Italian, say KLAH-rah. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Its meaning puts Clara on our names that mean light list.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Clara on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Clara on 9 lists.
“The young heroine of The Nutcracker ballet”
From Reindeer names, girl reindeer names
“Latin for clear or bright”
From Female demon hunter names, names that mean light, hunt or battle
“Latin for clear or bright”
From Female cat names, vintage girl cat names
“Clear, bright; Latin. Say KLAH-rah”
From Italian girl names, italian girl names that work in English
“Clear, bright; Latin, a classic in many languages”
From Names that mean light, names that mean bright or shining
“Heidi's friend in the classic Swiss story”
From Goat names, girl goat names
“Clear, bright; Latin. Suffragist Campoamor won Spanish women the vote”
From Spanish girl names, royal and historic Spanish girl names
“Clear, bright; Latin. Shared with American Red Cross founder Barton”
From Strong female names, strong names worn by trailblazing women
“Clear, bright; Latin. A top-10 name in 1885”
From Vintage girl names, victorian girl names
How popular is Clara?
- US rank in 2025
- #63
- 3,601 babies, 2,240 per million girls
- Best rank
- #7 in 1885
- Most babies: 5,778 in 1918
- Babies since 1880
- At least 300,524
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 13,497 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 11,466 per million |
| 1900s | 8,163 per million |
| 1910s | 5,437 per million |
| 1920s | 4,031 per million |
| 1930s | 2,969 per million |
| 1940s | 1,383 per million |
| 1950s | 664 per million |
| 1960s | 356 per million |
| 1970s | 213 per million |
| 1980s | 214 per million |
| 1990s | 348 per million |
| 2000s | 692 per million |
| 2010s | 1,523 per million |
| 2020s | 1,776 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #100 | #95 | #103 | #95 | #103 | #102 | #110 | #98 | #78 | #63 |
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 Clara
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
Names spelled like Clara
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- CaraFriend in Irish; beloved in Italian (Irish and Italian, girl)
- CharaJoy, happiness (Greek, girl)
- CiaraDark one (Irish Gaelic, girl)
- CarlaFree man, feminine of Charles (Germanic, girl)
- CoraMaiden, young girl (Greek, girl)
- CataPet form of Catalina (Spanish, girl)
- CharnaBlack (Yiddish, girl)
- CharoPet form of Rosario (Spanish, girl)
- ChavaLife, living (Hebrew, girl)
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 Clara
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer 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)
Clara: common questions
What does the name Clara mean?
Clara comes from Latin and means "clear, bright".
Is Clara a boy or girl name?
Clara is mainly a girl's name.
Where does the name Clara come from?
Clara comes from Latin and means "clear, bright". Today it is used in English, German, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese.
How popular is the name Clara?
Clara ranked #63 in the US in 2025, with 3,601 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Clara?
Forms of Clara with the same meaning and origin include Chiara (Italian), Clair (Portuguese), Claire (English), Clarissa (English) and Clarisse (French).
What middle names go with Clara?
Middle names that flow well with Clara include Delphine, Esmeralda, Mercy, Patience and Seraphina. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.