The Baby Name Wizard

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Contribute to, or edit, this collection of community wisdom on the name Clare!

Comments and insights on the name Clare: | Edit

Clare has a range of variants: Clarice, Clarissa, Clare, Clair, Clarinda, Claribel, Esclairmonde, and Clarimond.

Personal experiences with the name Clare: | Edit

As my name is Clare, I have a few things to share:
'Clara' means 'white', as in 'egg-white' in Spanish.
Many variants include 'Clarabelle, Clarissa, and Clarity.' I keep on getting confused with the name 'Grace'.

My name is Clare. I have always loved my name. To me it is classic, sophisticated, unique and beautiful. The only downside to it is that everyone thinks it is spelled with an "i". I spell it the Irish way, the more awesome way! I get compliments on my name, and how I spell it, all the time. My nicknames have been Claresy, Clare bear and Clarey.

In the UK (and probably other countries), Clare was popular in the 1970s and 1980s, then dropped off, so it's now rare to find a Clare under 20. It's starting to make me feel old!

Nicknames for Clare: | Edit

Clara

Meanings and history of the name Clare: | Edit

Clare derives from the Latin word clarus, which means "clear, bright, shining, brilliant to the sight." Clarus comes from clareo, which indicates "I am bright, I shine" and, figuratively, "I am renowned," and its other offshoot claresco ("I become illustrious").

Famous real-life people named Clare: | Edit

St. Clare was one of the first followers (and a dear friend) of Saint Francis of Assisi. She founded the Order of Poor Ladies, a monastic religious order for women in the Franciscan tradition. Following her death, the order she founded was renamed in her honor as the Order of Saint Clare, commonly referred to today as the Poor Clares. Patron of clairvoyance and eye disease.

Lady Elizabeth Clare, the sister of the Earl of Clare, founded Clare Hall at Cambridge in 1326.

Clare Higgins, actress
Clare Coulter, actress
Clare Boylan, writer

Clare in song, story & screen: | Edit

Clare Abshire, a main character in Audrey Niffenegger's novel "The Time Traveler's Wife".