Clara
Female nameLatin
✨ Meaning
Clara comes from the Latin 'clarus,' meaning clear, bright and famous. The Romans used the adjective for anything luminous and, by extension, for a reputation that shone, so the name means brightness in both the physical and social sense. It is one of a small group of Latin names whose meaning has never needed translating, because the root survives in English words such as clarity and declare.
🌍 Origin
Saint Clare of Assisi, the thirteenth-century founder of the Poor Clares, carried the name across Catholic Europe in its Italian form Chiara. Clara was a nineteenth-century favourite in Britain, Germany and the United States, faded through the middle of the twentieth century, and has returned strongly since the 2000s as part of the vintage revival.
📈 Popularity Trend
⭐ Famous People Named Clara
- Clara Schumann
- Clara Barton
- Clara Bow
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What does Clara mean?
Clara means 'bright, clear, famous,' from the Latin adjective 'clarus.'
Is Clara the same as Claire?
They come from the same Latin root. Claire is the French development and Clara the Latin and Spanish form.
How is Clara pronounced?
English speakers say KLAIR-ah or KLAR-ah, while German and Spanish speakers use KLAH-rah with an open first vowel.