Clara
2025 SSA
Below 5 births
About Clara
Clara is a strong, lovely girls' name that's always ranked among the US Top 1000 girl names but has been climbing since the turn of this century. It now ranks right at Number 78, making it a modern classic that's neither too popular nor unfamiliar.
Long relegated to an Olde World backwater, the European-flavored Clara was long less fashionable than sleeker sister Claire. Now, though the vintage chic Clara is still less popular, it's arguably the more stylish of the two names.
Clara was a Top 10 name in the 1880s, at one time associated with the silent screen 'It Girl,' Clara Bow, and before that with German musician and composer Clara Schumann and Red Cross founder Clara Barton, who was born Clarissa.
Clara is beloved for her leading role in The Nutcracker ballet and as Heidi's invalid friend. Actor Ewan McGregor was an early celebrity adopter of the name for one of his daughters.
Other Clara variations you might want to consider include Clarissa and Clarina, though Clarabelle still seems fit mainly for cows.
Clara is also given to boys.
Pronounced KLAR-uh.
As of October 2026, Clara ranked #63 for girls in US births in 2025 and #12517 for boys in US births in 2019 SSA, peaked at #7 for girls in 1885 and #475 for boys in 1886, Nameberry popularity #27 for girls.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank · girls | Births · girls | US rank · boys | Births · boys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #108 | 2,860 | — | 0 |
| 2015 | #98 | 3,070 | — | 0 |
| 2016 | #100 | 3,075 | — | 0 |
| 2017 | #95 | 3,044 | — | 0 |
| 2018 | #103 | 2,892 | — | 0 |
| 2019 | #95 | 2,950 | — | 0 |
| 2020 | #103 | 2,696 | — | 0 |
| 2021 | #101 | 2,693 | — | 0 |
| 2022 | #110 | 2,552 | — | 0 |
| 2023 | #98 | 2,661 | — | 0 |
| 2024 | #78 | 3,060 | — | 0 |
| 2025 | #63 | 3,601 | — | 0 |
World rankings
Similar names
These 20 names were selected by our users looking for other names like Clara.
Clara on lists
Famous Claras
- Clara Francisca NunesGirl
Brazilian samba singer
- Clara Gordon BowGirl
American actress
- Clara Ellen ButtGirl
English operatic contralto
- Clara ReadGirl
English actress
- Clara Josephine (Wieck) SchumannGirl
German composer and pianist
- Clara Louise MaassGirl
American nurse
- Clarissa Harlowe "Clara" BartonGirl
American pioneering nurse
- Clara Hamilton HarrisGirl
American socialite
- Clara BlandickGirl
American actress
- Clara AlonsoGirl
Spanish model
- Clara Langhorne ClemensGirl
American contralto
- Clara ChungGirl
American guitarist and singer
- Clara Mae Shepard LuperGirl
American civil rights leader
- Clara HughesGirl
Canadian Olympic cyclist and speed skater
- Clara HaskilGirl
Romanian pianist
- Clara Lee (SungGirl
min), British,South Korean actress and model
- Clara EdwardsGirl
American pianist and composer
- Isabella Clara EugeniaGirl
sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands
- Clara MuhammadGirl
American wife of Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad
- Clara WardGirl
American gospel singer of The Ward Singers
- Clara DriscollGirl
American philanthropist
- Clara Hagopian JobsGirl
mother Steve Jobs
- Clara LukasiakGirl
younger sister of reality TV personality Chloe Lukasiak of TV's "Dance Moms"
- Clara Balzary (b. 1988)Girl
daughter of musician Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers
- Clara Mathilde McGregor (b. 1996)Girl
daughter of actor Ewan McGregor
- Clara Enola Wire (b. 2002)Girl
daughter of musician Nicky Wire of the Manic Street Preachers
- Clara Thomas (b. 2009)Girl
daughter of TV journalist Nina Hossain and Stuart Thomas
- Clara Saltykova (b. 2012)Girl
daughter of actors Inga Strelkova,Ooldina and Vitaly Saltykov
- Clara EsquerdoGirl
Spanish rhythmic gymnast
- Clara Elizabeth So (b. 2016)Girl
daughter of actress Anna Chlumsky and Shaun So
- Clara Jane Griffiths (b. 2018)Girl
daughter of YouTube vloggers Emily & Beau Griffiths of 'A Griffiths Life Vlogs'
- Clara Eloise Jordan (b. 2019)Girl
daughter of American actor and singer Jeremy Jordan & American actress, singer, and dancer Ashley Spencer
- Clara RockmoreGirl
Lithuanian musician
- Clara SchumannGirl
German pianist and composer
- Clara Webb ButcherGirl
Mother of singers Loretta Lynn and Crystal Gayle
- Clara BowGirl
American silent film star
Clara in pop culture
- Clara StahlbaumGirl
main character in ballet The Nutcracker
- Clara Clayton BrownGirl
character in movie "Back to the Future Part III"
- Clara DudleyGirl
character in "The Haunting of Hill House"
- ClaraGirl
a character in musical "Passion"
- Clara BodenGirl
character in White Teeth by Zadie Smith
- Clara AllenGirl
character in Larry McMurtry's "Lonesome Dove"
- Clara DurrantGirl
character in Virginia Woolf's "Jacob's Room"
- Clara BishopGirl
character in Royals book series by Geneva Lee
- Princess ClaraGirl
character in animated TV series "Drawn Together"
- Clara GardnerGirl
main character in the Unearthly series
- Clara BeaneGirl
character in The Guild web series
- ClaraGirl
character in Bob Dylan's 1975 film "Renaldo and Clara"
- ClaraGirl
character in E. T. A. Hoffmann's "Der Sandmann"
- Clara BelleGirl
character in the video game "MySims"
- Clara VarnerGirl
a main character in "The Long, Hot Summer"
- Clara OswaldGirl
a companion on TV's "Doctor Who"
- Clara RadleyGirl
character from The Radleys by Matt Haig
- ClaraGirl
a character from the British TV series "The Paradise"
- Clara EdwardsGirl
character on "The Andy Griffith Show"
- Clara CluckGirl
member of Mickey Mouse's original farmyard gang
- Clara SesemannGirl
character in book/movie "Heidi"
- Aunt ClaraGirl
character on TV's "Bewitched"
- María Clara de los SantosGirl
main character in "Noli Me Tangere" by José Rizal
- Clara WheelerGirl
character on TV miniseries "Into the West"
- Clara CallenGirl
mother of G Callen on TV's "NCIS: Los Angeles"
- Clara BuhalmetGirl
character in "Fran Bow"
- "Clara"Girl
song by progressive bluegrass band Punch Brothers
- Clara DrosselmayerGirl
main character in animated movie "Barbie in the Nutcracker"
- Clara NightingaleGirl
character in Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir
- Clara JohnsonGirl
main character of opera,musical "The Light in the Piazza"
- ClaraGirl
Spanish Vocaloid
- Clara GrantGirl
main character in novel and movie "Regretting You"
- ClaraGirl
Glitter Clover in English dub of Doki Doki! Prettycure
- "Clara Bow"Girl
Song by Taylor Swift featured in "The Tortured Poets Department"