Baby Names Girl Names Claire Name Meaning Learn more about the meaning, origin, and popularity of the name. By Wendy Wisner Published on July 8, 2024 Fact checked by Karen Cilli In This Article View All In This Article How Popular Is the Name Claire? Similar Names Suggested Sibling Names Famous People Named Claire Close If you're looking for a lovely, traditional, feminine name, consider adding the name Claire to your list. Claire comes from the French word clair meaning “clear,” “bright,” or “light-colored.” The word can also be a noun meaning “light,” as in the phrase clair de lune (“light of the moon”). Origin: The name Claire has French origins.Gender: Claire, with an “e” at the end, is the feminine form in French, while Clair would be the masculine form. However, both spellings have been used for boys and girls.Pronunciation: klair (rhymes with “stair”) Editor's Note Although baby names are often separated by gender, Parents believes that sex need not play any role in your name selection process. It’s important to select the name that you feel best suits your new baby. How Popular Is the Name Claire? Claire has been one of the top 500 girl names in the US since 1973. Over the next two and a half decades, the name continued to rise, breaking into the top 100 for the first time in 1998 when it ranked No. 91. Its popularity rose to No. 40 in 2016. In 2023, Claire ranked as the No. 67 name for girls in America. As a boy's name, Claire was ranked in the top 1,000 names for boys from 1902 until 1931. It just barely made it back on the list in 1934 and 1936 until it fell off again. It hit its peak popularity in 1905 when it ranked No. 531. The Clair spelling has historically been much more popular for boys. Similar Names Alternate spellings are sometimes seen, such as Clair and Clare. A closely related name is Clara, a Latin-derived name that means “bright” or “clear” just as Claire does in French. The names Clarice and Clarissa are also derived from the same Latin root. More girl names starting with "C" include: Caitlin Cameron Camille Carla Carolyn Carrie Casey Cassandra Catherine Chloe Christine Cleo Cora Courtney Crystal Cynthia More girl names derived from French include: Annette Audrey Brigitte Céline Elise Genevieve Isabelle Juliette Margot Michelle Nicole Noelle Simone Valerie Vivienne Suggested Sibling Names Looking for a sibling name for your baby Claire? Consider these popular options: Aiden Ava Daniel Emma Harper Isabella James Joseph Kiara Lucas Mia Noah Oliver Olivia Sophia Famous People Named Claire Wondering who your baby may share the name Claire with? These are some of the most notable people with the name Claire. Famous female Claires Claire Adams, Canadian-born actress who was a star in the silent film eraClaire Baker, Scottish politician and member of the Scottish ParliamentClaire Bloom, English actress known for her roles in such films as Limelight, A Doll’s House, Clash of the Titans, and The King’s SpeechClaire Boucher, Canadian musician known professionally as GrimesClaire Buffie, American photographer who made waves as a Miss America contestant by advocating for LGBT rightsClaire Calvert, English ballet dancer as a first soloist at the Royal BalletClaire Coffee, American actress known for appearing in the NBC series GrimmClaire Coutinho, English politician as a conservative member of British parliamentClaire Cupples, Canadian microbiologistClaire Danes, American actress known for her roles in the TV series My So-Called Life and HomelandClaire Forlani, English actress known for her roles in the films Mallrats, Basquiat, and Meet Joe BlackClaire Hodgkins, American virtuoso violinistClaire Holt, Australian actress known for her roles in Pretty Little Liars and The Vampire DiariesClaire McCardell, American fashion designer credited with the creation of American sportswearClaire McCaskill, American politician who formerly served as US senator from MissouriClaire Sterling, American author and journalist whose work focused on political assassinations and terrorismClaire Sugden, Northern Irish politicianClaire Vallée, French chef whose restaurant was the first vegan establishment to win a Michelin starClaire Waldoff, German singer known for subversive cabaret performances in the 1910s and 1920s BerlinClaire Ward, English politician who served as a member of British parliamentClaire Saffitz, American food writer, chef, and YouTube personality Famous male Claires Claire Alexander, Canadian ice hockey player who played for the Toronto Maple LeafsClaire Lee Chennault, American military aviator, known for leading the US Air Force volunteer group nicknamed the “Flying Tigers”Claire E. Hutchin Jr, United States Army Lieutenant GeneralClaire Egtvedt, American airplane designer and former president of the Boeing company, known for developing the B-17 bomberClaire Konold, American politician who served in the South Dakota House of RepresentativesClaire L. Straith, American plastic surgeon who advocated for car safetyClaire Lawrence, Canadian musician who was a co-founder of the band The Collectors, which later was renamed Chilliwack Famous Clairs Clair Bee, American basketball coach and sports novelistClair George, veteran officer of the Central Intelligence AgencyClair Huffaker, American authorClair Cameron Patterson, American geochemist whose work led to a more accurate calculation of the age of the Earth More Baby Names Still searching for the perfect baby name? Check out these related baby name lists for even more options: Top 1,000 Baby Girl Names Top 100 French Baby Names How To Choose a Name for Your Baby Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit Sources Parents uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Popularity of name. Social Security Administration. 2024.