Clara is a girl name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Clara means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Clara across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Clara has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Clara is a girl name of Latin origin meaning “bright, clear”. borne by St Clare of Assisi.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 301,540 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 9,471 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 832 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 933 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 2,712 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 80 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Clara per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1918 (5,800/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2017 (614/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2013 (103/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2017 (64/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2025 (51/yr).
Clara has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 1918, when it ranked #78 nationally (given to 5,800 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1910s.
Gloria · Claire · Clair · Clare · Cleora · Clora · Klara · Claira
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