Claire: Meaning, Pronunciation and Origin
Claire is an Irish girl's name meaning “clear, bright, famous.” Here’s how to say it, where it comes from, and names that go well with it.
Updated September 2026
- Meaning
- Clear, bright, famous
- Gender
- Girl
- Also spelled
- Clare
- Popularity in Ireland
- No. 352 for girls (2025)
How do you pronounce Claire?
Claire is pronounced KLAIR. It has one syllable. Other spellings: Clare.
What does Claire mean?
A medieval name derived from Latin clarus “clear, bright, famous.” St. Claire, a follower of St. Francis of Assisi, who left her wealthy family to found the order of nuns known as the “Poor Clares,” has always been very respected in Ireland and the name is still popular today.
How popular is Claire in Ireland?
In 2025, 11 baby girls in Ireland were named Claire, which made it No. 352 that year. That's down from No. 185 ten years earlier. It was most popular in 1986, when 476 baby girls were named Claire, No. 10 that year. The most babies got the name in 1982: 499. The records go back to 1964, when 78 baby girls were given the name.
See the numbers by year
| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 11 | No. 352 |
| 2024 | 6 | No. 556 |
| 2023 | 11 | No. 339 |
| 2022 | 11 | No. 357 |
| 2021 | 16 | No. 270 |
| 2020 | 13 | No. 315 |
| 2019 | 16 | No. 284 |
| 2018 | 21 | No. 228 |
| 2017 | 11 | No. 365 |
| 2016 | 23 | No. 208 |
| 2015 | 30 | No. 185 |
| 2014 | 27 | No. 197 |
| 2013 | 35 | No. 170 |
| 2012 | 37 | No. 157 |
| 2011 | 34 | No. 170 |
| 2010 | 38 | No. 164 |
| 2009 | 57 | No. 117 |
| 2008 | 58 | No. 114 |
| 2007 | 42 | No. 144 |
| 2006 | 58 | No. 97 |
| 2005 | 70 | No. 79 |
| 2004 | 65 | No. 86 |
| 2003 | 84 | No. 61 |
| 2002 | 96 | No. 54 |
| 2001 | 127 | No. 44 |
| 2000 | 127 | No. 41 |
| 1999 | 118 | No. 39 |
| 1998 | 117 | No. 37 |
| 1997 | 206 | No. 28 |
| 1996 | 212 | No. 28 |
| 1995 | 241 | No. 22 |
| 1994 | 268 | No. 20 |
| 1993 | 246 | No. 22 |
| 1992 | 299 | No. 17 |
| 1991 | 349 | No. 16 |
| 1990 | 337 | No. 15 |
| 1989 | 365 | No. 14 |
| 1988 | 427 | No. 12 |
| 1987 | 451 | No. 10 |
| 1986 | 476 | No. 10 |
| 1985 | 475 | No. 10 |
| 1984 | 455 | No. 10 |
| 1983 | 418 | No. 15 |
| 1982 | 499 | No. 12 |
| 1981 | 457 | No. 16 |
| 1980 | 458 | No. 16 |
| 1979 | 369 | No. 24 |
| 1978 | 404 | No. 18 |
| 1977 | 330 | No. 23 |
| 1976 | 307 | No. 28 |
| 1975 | 251 | No. 32 |
| 1974 | 225 | No. 39 |
| 1973 | 215 | No. 39 |
| 1972 | 175 | No. 49 |
| 1971 | 155 | No. 57 |
| 1970 | 123 | No. 68 |
| 1969 | 119 | No. 62 |
| 1968 | 128 | No. 59 |
| 1967 | 94 | No. 74 |
| 1966 | 101 | No. 70 |
| 1965 | 99 | No. 63 |
| 1964 | 78 | No. 75 |
Claire in Ogham
Ogham is the oldest way of writing Irish. It was carved along the edges of standing stones, mostly between the 4th and 6th centuries, and read from the bottom up. In later tradition each letter was named after a tree or plant. Here’s Claire, letter by letter.
- CColl, hazel
- LLuis, rowan
- AAilm, pine
- IIodhadh, yew
- RRuis, elder
- EEadhadh, aspen
Write any name in Ogham with our Ogham translator
Names that go with Claire
Questions about Claire
- How do you pronounce Claire?
- Claire is pronounced KLAIR. One syllable.
- What does Claire mean?
- Claire means “clear, bright, famous.”
- Is Claire a girl's name or a boy's name?
- Claire is a girl's name.
- How popular is Claire in Ireland?
- In 2025, Claire was No. 352 for girls in Ireland, with 11 babies, according to the Central Statistics Office. It was most popular in 1986, at No. 10.