Girl's name
Claire
Say it KLAIR
French origin bright, shining, clear
1 syllable
Where Claire is loved, common and rare
Common across Canada and one more place. Rare in Switzerland, three German cities, the Netherlands and nine more places.
1 in 1,921 girls born in Ireland in 2025
Ontario 50thQuebec 69thBritish Columbia 78th
LovedCommonRare
Every place
In 18 of the 40 official lists, among them Ontario (50th), Quebec (69th) and British Columbia (78th).
Show all 18 placesShow less
| Place | Rank | Girls | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario province | 50th 2024 | 162 | about 1 in 336 |
| Quebec province | 69th 2025 | 78 | about 1 in 333 |
| British Columbia province | 78th 2023 | 34 | about 1 in 352 |
| Queensland state | 81st 2025 | 60 | rank only |
| Switzerland | 245th 2025 | 28 | 1 in 1,214 |
| Cologne city | 308th 2023 | 3 | about 1 in 2,048 |
| The Netherlands | 330th 2025 | 42 | about 1 in 1,453 |
| Ireland | 352nd 2025 | 11 | 1 in 1,921 |
| Berlin city | 385th 2023 | 8 | about 1 in 1,813 |
| France | 449th 2025 | 110 | 1 in 2,607 |
| Austria | 566th 2025 | 8 | 1 in 4,465 |
| Catalonia region | 604th 2025 | 4 | 1 in 4,818 |
| Poland | 706th 2025 | 2 | 1 in 59,894 |
| Italy | 779th 2024 | 13 | 1 in 13,782 |
| Scotland | 780th 2025 | 3 | 1 in 5,964 |
| Sweden | 885th 2025 | 5 | about 1 in 8,034 |
| England and Wales | 1362nd 2025 | 23 | 1 in 11,012 |
| Leipzig city | 344th 2025 | 1 | about 1 in 2,624 |
Rare, below the listed names: Northern Ireland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, New Zealand, Munich, Bonn, Rostock, Norway, Spain, Hungary, Slovenia and Israel.
Not in a short top list, so no figure: Nova Scotia (top 21), Denmark (top 50), Finland (top 50), Iceland (top 10), Estonia (top 25), Moscow (top 61), Turkey (top 30), Argentina (top 20) and Croatia (top 50).
Germany publishes no national statistics on first names. German figures here are city lists (Berlin, Munich, Cologne, Bonn, Leipzig, Rostock), never the country.
Sources: Ontario Office of the Registrar General (Ontario Data Catalogue) (Ontario); Retraite Québec (Banque de prénoms, Données Québec) (Quebec); BC Vital Statistics Agency (BC Data Catalogue) (British Columbia); Queensland Registry of BDM (Qld Open Data Portal) (Queensland); Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS) / Office fédéral de la statistique (OFS) (Switzerland); Stadt Köln, Standesamt (offenedaten-koeln.de) (Cologne); Sociale Verzekeringsbank (SVB) (the Netherlands); Central Statistics Office (CSO) (Ireland); BerlinOnline GmbH; Landesamt für Bürger- und Ordnungsangelegenheiten (LABO) / Standesämter (Berlin); INSEE, Fichier des prénoms (édition 2025) (France); Statistik Austria (OGDEXT_VORNAMEN_1) (Austria); Idescat (Institut d'Estadística de Catalunya) (Catalonia); Ministerstwo Cyfryzacji, rejestr PESEL (dane.gov.pl) (Poland); ISTAT, Contanomi (Italy); National Records of Scotland (Scotland); Skatteverket (Swedish Tax Agency) (Sweden); Office for National Statistics (England and Wales); Stadt Leipzig, Standesamt (opendata.leipzig.de) (Leipzig). How we count, and every source
About the name
Borrowed from French, Claire is also a spelling of the English Clare. It belongs with Clara, and shares that name's meaning: 'bright, shining, clear'. Saint Clare of Assisi, founder of the Poor Clares, is the best-known bearer of the name.
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A single syllable, said KLAIR, it is simple and crisp. Clare and Clair are alternative spellings, while Clara, Chiara and Klara are the longer forms used across Europe. Marie-Claire is a well-known French compound.
Canada is where it is most popular today, sitting inside the top 80 in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia. It is also used in Switzerland, the Netherlands and France. French records put its peak in the early 1980s, and now it is rising in some regions and easing in others, so it remains a familiar, steady classic.
Meaning, origin, pronunciation
- Pronounced
- KLAIR, 1 syllable
- Meaning
bright, shining, clear
- Origin
- French
Etymology
Borrowed from French Claire, also a spelling variant of the English Clare.
From the Wiktionary entry, CC BY-SA 4.0, shortened.
Over time
Over five years: rising in 4 of 14 regions, falling in 5.
Show the yearsShow less
Rank in each place since 1996; higher on the chart is more popular.
Ten years of ranks
Her rank each year, English-speaking regions first. A blank means no published rank for her that year.
| Region | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England and Wales | 852 | 915 | 1013 | 838 | 1127 | 983 | 1023 | 1288 | 1021 | 1362 |
| Scotland | 502 | 570 | 449 | 493 | 765 | 792 | 749 | 638 | 780 | |
| Ireland | 208 | 365 | 228 | 284 | 315 | 270 | 357 | 339 | 556 | 352 |
| Ontario | 23 | 20 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 39 | 45 | 47 | 50 | |
| British Columbia | 22 | 28 | 33 | 31 | 41 | 52 | 55 | 78 | ||
| Nova Scotia | 9 | 13 | 17 | 17 | ||||||
| New South Wales | 61 | 48 | 66 | 63 | 88 | 79 | 86 | |||
| Victoria | 76 | 65 | 93 | 91 | 92 | |||||
| Queensland | 50 | 63 | 66 | 56 | 63 | 75 | 86 | 80 | 88 | 81 |
| South Australia | 79 | 49 | 79 | 66 | 87 | 64 | ||||
| Quebec | 198 | 153 | 151 | 138 | 102 | 107 | 89 | 94 | 95 | 69 |
| France | 279 | 335 | 346 | 334 | 423 | 454 | 488 | 489 | 441 | 449 |
| The Netherlands | 358 | 358 | 494 | 234 | 236 | 280 | 297 | 231 | 330 | |
| Austria | 468 | 604 | 522 | 874 | 736 | 597 | 859 | 644 | 872 | 566 |
| Switzerland | 424 | 389 | 286 | 385 | 350 | 392 | 444 | 417 | 438 | 245 |
| Berlin | 386 | 419 | 432 | 398 | 642 | 654 | 468 | 385 | ||
| Munich | 178 | |||||||||
| Cologne | 192 | 219 | 299 | 332 | 659 | 266 | 420 | 308 | ||
| Bonn | 174 | 365 | 226 | 186 | 392 | 236 | ||||
| Sweden | 874 | 885 | ||||||||
| Catalonia | 347 | 617 | 541 | 429 | 532 | 611 | 604 | |||
| Italy | 1080 | 1025 | 755 | 779 |
England and Wales, 1996 to 2025
| Year | Rank | Girls | per 100,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1362 | 23 | 9.1 |
| 2024 | 1021 | 34 | 13.2 |
| 2023 | 1288 | 25 | 9.7 |
| 2022 | 1023 | 33 | 12.5 |
| 2021 | 983 | 35 | 12.8 |
| 2020 | 1127 | 29 | 10.8 |
| 2019 | 838 | 44 | 15.7 |
| 2018 | 1013 | 35 | 12.1 |
| 2017 | 915 | 41 | 13.7 |
| 2016 | 852 | 44 | 14.3 |
| 2015 | 984 | 36 | 11.7 |
| 2014 | 986 | 37 | 12.1 |
| 2013 | 865 | 43 | 13.9 |
| 2012 | 825 | 46 | 14.3 |
| 2011 | 817 | 45 | 14.0 |
| 2010 | 747 | 49 | 15.3 |
| 2009 | 576 | 66 | 21.1 |
| 2008 | 767 | 45 | 14.3 |
| 2007 | 623 | 56 | 18.3 |
| 2006 | 556 | 64 | 21.4 |
| 2005 | 483 | 74 | 25.7 |
| 2004 | 369 | 103 | 36.0 |
| 2003 | 415 | 86 | 30.9 |
| 2002 | 307 | 118 | 44.1 |
| 2001 | 267 | 145 | 54.1 |
| 2000 | 226 | 181 | 66.3 |
| 1999 | 171 | 263 | 93.4 |
| 1998 | 134 | 339 | 117.2 |
| 1997 | 114 | 439 | 149.7 |
| 1996 | 90 | 564 | 190.5 |
Sources: Office for National Statistics (1996-2025), OGL v3.
France since 1925
Half of the babies named Claire in France since 1925 were born in or after 1981. First recorded in 1925. Her peak year there: 1984, at 1,052.2 per 100,000 girls.
Babies named Claire per 100,000 girls born in France, by five-year period. Her 1984 peak is averaged into its five-year period, so the line sits below it.
Sources: INSEE, Fichier des prénoms (édition 2025) (1900-2025), Licence Ouverte / Etalab 2.0.
Sister names for Claire
1 in 2,641 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Claire.
1 in 1,278 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Claire.
1 in 5,282 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Claire.
1 in 1,278 in Scotland
1 in 3,578 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Claire.
1 in 911 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Claire.
1 in 3,567 in England and Wales
Rose and fell with Claire. Same first letter as Claire.
1 in 1,408 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Claire.
1 in 175 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Claire.
1 in 880 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Claire.
Middle names for Claire
1 in 71 in Scotland
Claire Olivia
1-4 beats · initials CO
Changes the beat after Claire: 1 syllable, then 4 syllables.
1 in 107 in Northern Ireland
Claire Charlotte
1-2 beats · initials CC
Changes the beat after Claire: 1 syllable, then 2 syllables.
1 in 78 in Northern Ireland
Claire Emily
1-3 beats · initials CE
Changes the beat after Claire: 1 syllable, then 3 syllables.
1 in 86 in Ireland
Claire Sophie
1-2 beats · initials CS
Changes the beat after Claire: 1 syllable, then 2 syllables.
1 in 95 in Northern Ireland
Claire Anna
1-2 beats · initials CA
Changes the beat after Claire: 1 syllable, then 2 syllables.
1 in 154 in Ireland
Claire Emma
1-2 beats · initials CE
Changes the beat after Claire: 1 syllable, then 2 syllables.
1 in 197 in Ireland
Claire Alice
1-2 beats · initials CA
Changes the beat after Claire: 1 syllable, then 2 syllables.
1 in 311 in Ireland
Claire Maria
1-3 beats · initials CM
Changes the beat after Claire: 1 syllable, then 3 syllables.
Same style as Claire
Names whose popularity rose and fell with hers across regions and decades.
1 in 1,822 in England and Wales
92% alike: moves with Claire across countries and decades.
1 in 175 in Ireland
92% alike: moves with Claire across countries and decades.
1 in 1,415 in England and Wales
92% alike: moves with Claire across countries and decades.
1 in 911 in Northern Ireland
91% alike: moves with Claire across countries and decades.
1 in 214 in Northern Ireland
91% alike: moves with Claire across countries and decades.
1 in 107 in Northern Ireland
91% alike: moves with Claire across countries and decades.
1 in 197 in Ireland
91% alike: moves with Claire across countries and decades.
1 in 86 in Ireland
90% alike: moves with Claire across countries and decades.
Famous people named Claire
Claire Danes, Claire Holt, Claire Foy, Claire Trevor, Claire Forlani, Claire Bloom, Claire Denis and Claire McCaskill.
Show all 8Show less
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American actor (born 1979)
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Australian actress (born 1988)
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British actress (born 1984)
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American actress (1910–2000)
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British actress born 1971
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British actress (born 1931)
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French film director (born 1946)
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American politician (born 1953)
People: Wikidata (CC0), linked to Wikipedia in this page's language when an article exists.
Questions about Claire
5 questions, on how popular she is, what it means, how to say it, whether she is rising and sister names.
Show all 5 questionsShow less
How popular is Claire?
Her best rank is No. 50 in Ontario in 2024, about 1 in 336 girls. She is in the published lists of 18 of our 40 regions.
What does Claire mean?
Wiktionary glosses Claire as "bright, shining, clear".
How do you pronounce Claire?
KLAIR, with 1 syllable.
Is Claire getting more popular?
Over five years: rising in 4 of 14 regions, falling in 5.
Which sister names go with Claire?
The deck's top five sisters for Claire: Gabrielle, Rosalie, Estelle, Elise and Valerie. Each is scored on style, era, popularity and origin, with sound clashes flagged.