Clare
Clare is a given name, the medieval English form of Clara. The related name Clair was traditionally considered male, but Clare and Claire are usually female.
Meaning & Origin of Clare
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Clare is a given name, the medieval English form of Clara. The related name Clair was traditionally considered male, but Clare and Claire are usually female.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Clare
As a girl name
Clare first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1880, with 15 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1998, when 510 Clares were born — ranking #500 that year. As of 2026, Clare ranks #1,025 for girls with 246 births, falling sharply (-23%). In total, more than 32K Clares have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Clare first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1880, with 8 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1920, when 103 Clares were born — ranking #623 that year. As of 2026, Clare ranks #9,912 for boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 3K Clares have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Clare
Phonetically similar names — useful when Clare is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Clare
What does the name Clare mean?
How popular is Clare in 2026?
When was Clare most popular?
In which U.S. states is Clare most popular?
Is Clare a unisex name?
What names go well with Clare?
About the name Clare
Clare is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 32K births in the dataset. Clare's peak popularity came in 1998 when it ranked #320. Use the chart and map above to compare Clare's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1998 →
- Names of the 1990s →
- Names starting with "C" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.