How to say it
CLA · ra
ˈklɛr.ə
Feminine
Clara
Clear, bright
What it means
Latin clara, 'clear, bright, famous.' The Italian and Spanish form; the French form is Claire. Saint Clare of Assisi (1194-1253) is the historical anchor for both.
Clara is the Latin form of the same root as Claire, from clarus ('clear, bright, famous'). Saint Clare of Assisi founded the Poor Clares order alongside Saint Francis; the name carried through Catholic Europe in both Clara and Claire forms. Clara Schumann (1819-1896) was the great pianist-composer of the German Romantic period. Clara Barton founded the American Red Cross. The English Clara dipped after the 1920s and has come back since 2010 as part of the broader vintage-revival wave. The diminutive Clarissa is its own name.
How to spell Clara
The standard spelling is Clara. Common variants include Claire, Klara, Clarissa, but Clara is the most widely used form.
Popularity over time
peaked at #7 in 1885, currently #63 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–2025. Reviewed July 2026. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Pop culture
Clara from The Nutcracker is the dominant child-coded reference; Clara Oswald (Doctor Who) is the modern one.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Clara Schumann German Romantic pianist and composer, Robert Schumann's wife
- Clara Barton Civil War nurse, founder of the American Red Cross
- Clara Oswald Jenna Coleman's character in Doctor Who, 2012-2017
Spelling variants
- Claire
- Klara
- Clarissa
Names with the same feeling
See Clara from another angle
By meaning
By style
Common questions
- What does the name Clara mean?
- Latin clara, 'clear, bright, famous.' The Italian and Spanish form; the French form is Claire. Saint Clare of Assisi (1194-1253) is the historical anchor for both.
- What does Clara mean in Latin?
- In Latin, Clara means "Clear, bright." Clara is the Latin form of the same root as Claire, from clarus ('clear, bright, famous'). Saint Clare of Assisi founded the Poor Clares order alongside Saint Francis; the name carried through Catholic Europe in both Clara and Claire forms. Clara Schumann (1819-1896) was the great pianist-composer of the German Romantic period. Clara Barton founded the American Red Cross. The English Clara dipped after the 1920s and has come back since 2010 as part of the broader vintage-revival wave. The diminutive Clarissa is its own name.
- How do you pronounce Clara?
- Clara is pronounced ˈklɛr.ə. Say it as CLA-ra, with the stress on the "cla" syllable.
- How do you spell Clara?
- The standard spelling is Clara. Common spelling variants include Claire, Klara, Clarissa.
- Is Clara a boy or girl name?
- Clara is traditionally a feminine name.
- How popular is the name Clara?
- Clara ranked #63 in the U.S. in 2025, according to Social Security Administration data.