Clare

For many more names, please Return to Edgar's Main Page.

Clare

Gender: Feminine, Masculine
Language: English
Etymology:
Clare is an English and French form of the Latin name Clara, the feminine form of Clarus, a Latin name which means “Bright,” or “Famous,” or “Clear.”
-or-
Clare can also come from an English surname. The surname Clare can come from several sources. It may refer to someone “from Clare” in Suffolk, which may named after a river. Or it may be an occupational name for a “clayer,” or one who would build with clay. Finally, under certain circumstances, the surname Clare could be a matronymic referring a descendent of Clara.

History:
Clare, the original French form of Clara, was introduced to England by the Normans. A saints name, one belonging to the popular St. Clare of Assisi (1193-1253), founder of the Poor Clares, it never quite died away, although it never became common.

It died out during the middle ages (at least, among the nobility) but was revived in the modern spelling of C-l-a-i-r-e during the 19th century as an alternate form of Clara, which was very popular in the late 19th century.

In the 19th century, Clare is also found as a masculine name. In many instances, this is a case of a transferred, aristocratic English surname, a practice which was fashionable at the time.

Please see Clara for more information.

Pronunciation: clair.

Famous Bearers:
Artists and Authors:
Clare A. Briggs (m., 1875-1930)
American cartoonist.
Clare Leighton (f., 1899-1989)
English printmaker and illustrator.
Clare Boothe Luce (f., 1903-1987)
American politician and playwright.

Religious Figures:
Saint Clare of Assisi (Santa Chiara di Assisi) (f., 1194-1253)
Founder of the Poor Clares.

Popularity:
Percentage from the 1990 U.S. Census:
0.012 % named Clare

Popularity of Clare, for females:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1850: N/A
1875: 715th most popular.
1880: 435th most popular.
1881: 374th most popular.
1882: 389th most popular.
1883: 397th most popular.
1884: 320th most popular.
1885: 394th most popular.
1886: 424th most popular.
1887: 390th most popular.
1888: 366th most popular.
1889: 416th most popular.
1890: 429th most popular.
1891: 430th most popular.
1892: 351st most popular.
1893: 500th most popular.
1894: 372nd most popular.
1895: 411th most popular.
1896: 387th most popular.
1897: 420th most popular.
1898: 401st most popular.
1899: 480th most popular.
1900: 423rd most popular.
1901: 432nd most popular.
1902: 408th most popular.
1903: 419th most popular.
1904: 421st most popular.
1905: 413th most popular.
1906: 444th most popular.
1907: 481st most popular.
1908: 429th most popular.
1909: 431st most popular.
1910: 408th most popular.
1911: 442nd most popular.
1912: 402nd most popular.
1913: 472nd most popular.
1914: 407th most popular.
1915: 471st most popular.
1916: 427th most popular.
1917: 474th most popular.
1918: 410th most popular.
1919: 427th most popular.
1920: 435th most popular.
1921: 441st most popular.
1922: 452nd most popular.
1923: 437th most popular.
1924: 472nd most popular.
1925: 431st most popular.
1926: 439th most popular.
1927: 440th most popular.
1928: 450th most popular.
1929: 458th most popular.
1930: 440th most popular.
1931: 422nd most popular.
1932: 438th most popular.
1933: 464th most popular.
1934: 472nd most popular.
1935: 487th most popular.
1936: 500th most popular.
1937: 506th most popular.
1938: 573rd most popular.
1939: 532nd most popular.
1940: 524th most popular.
1941: 549th most popular.
1942: 580th most popular.
1943: 512th most popular.
1944: 477th most popular.
1945: 493rd most popular.
1946: 502nd most popular.
1947: 506th most popular.
1948: 555th most popular.
1949: 527th most popular.
1950: 497th most popular.
1951: 517th most popular.
1952: 545th most popular.
1953: 480th most popular.
1954: 552nd most popular.
1955: 517th most popular.
1956: 571st most popular.
1957: 561st most popular.
1958: 528th most popular.
1959: 539th most popular.
1960: 538th most popular.
1961: 535th most popular.
1962: 550th most popular.
1963: 587th most popular.
1964: 654th most popular.
1965: 740th most popular.
1966: 760th most popular.
1967: 817th most popular.
1968: 899th most popular.
1969-1981: N/A
1982: 847th most popular.
1983: 889th most popular.
1984: 766th most popular.
1985: 802nd most popular.
1986: 788th most popular.
1987: 722nd most popular.
1988: 745th most popular.
1989: 705th most popular.
1990: 682nd most popular.
1991: 695th most popular.
1992: 689th most popular.
1993: 684th most popular.
1994: 622nd most popular.
1995: 590th most popular.
1996: 531st most popular.
1997: 539th most popular.
1998: 522nd most popular.
1999: 510th most popular.
2000: 545th most popular.
2001: 564th most popular.
2002: 607th most popular.
2003: 644th most popular.
2004: 653rd most popular.

Popularity of Clare, for males:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1850: N/A
1875: 822nd most popular.
1880-1890: N/A
1891: 963rd most popular.
1892: 689th most popular.
1893: 459th most popular.
1894: 480th most popular.
1895: 739th most popular.
1896: 462nd most popular.
1897: 854th most popular.
1898: 804th most popular.
1899: 482nd most popular.
1900: 839th most popular.
1901: 596th most popular.
1902: 556th most popular.
1903: 656th most popular.
1904: 687th most popular.
1905: 636th most popular.
1906: 673rd most popular.
1907: 699th most popular.
1908: 711th most popular.
1909: 530th most popular.
1910: 707th most popular.
1911: 595th most popular.
1912: 764th most popular.
1913: 636th most popular.
1914: 578th most popular.
1915: 662nd most popular.
1916: 633rd most popular.
1917: 638th most popular.
1918: 668th most popular.
1919: 648th most popular.
1920: 626th most popular.
1921: 675th most popular.
1922: 680th most popular.
1923: 671st most popular.
1924: 712th most popular.
1925: 663rd most popular.
1926: 692nd most popular.
1927: 763rd most popular.
1928: 728th most popular.
1929: 805th most popular.
1930: 853rd most popular.
1931: 814th most popular.
1932: 772nd most popular.
1933: 937th most popular.
1934: 897th most popular.
1935: N/A
1936: 977th most popular.
1937: 908th most popular.
1938: 882nd most popular.
1939: N/A
1940: N/A
1941: 975th most popular.
1942-2004: N/A