Claire
Borrowed from French Claire, also a spelling variant of the English Clare.
Every Claire since 1880 — 214,123 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Claire
Claire is a top-100 name for girls in the United States, ranked #68 in 2025 with 3,487 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 214,123 American babies have been named Claire. Its peak came in 2016, when 5,216 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 2010s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Claire stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Claire year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3,487 | #68 | — | — |
| 2024 | 3,337 | #67 | — | — |
| 2023 | 3,200 | #68 | — | — |
| 2022 | 3,380 | #66 | — | — |
| 2021 | 3,704 | #59 | 5 | #12,486 |
| 2020 | 3,837 | #58 | — | — |
| 2019 | 4,130 | #55 | — | — |
| 2018 | 4,406 | #50 | — | — |
| 2017 | 4,702 | #49 | 5 | #12,656 |
| 2016 | 5,216 | #40 | — | — |
| 2015 | 4,837 | #49 | — | — |
| 2014 | 5,015 | #44 | — | — |
| 2013 | 4,661 | #50 | — | — |
| 2012 | 4,944 | #45 | — | — |
| 2011 | 4,900 | #50 | — | — |
| 2010 | 4,917 | #53 | — | — |
| 2009 | 4,825 | #53 | 7 | #10,067 |
| 2008 | 4,601 | #62 | 7 | #10,062 |
| 2007 | 4,614 | #66 | 7 | #9,956 |
| 2006 | 4,013 | #86 | — | — |
| 2005 | 3,293 | #95 | 7 | #9,296 |
| 2004 | 3,333 | #99 | 11 | #6,601 |
| 2003 | 3,571 | #92 | — | — |
| 2002 | 3,406 | #95 | — | — |
| 2001 | 3,642 | #82 | — | — |
| 2000 | 3,711 | #86 | — | — |
| 1995 | 2,474 | #129 | — | — |
| 1990 | 1,855 | #158 | 11 | #4,722 |
| 1985 | 1,187 | #220 | 5 | #6,702 |
| 1980 | 567 | #403 | — | — |
| 1975 | 388 | #475 | 9 | #3,702 |
| 1970 | 341 | #547 | — | — |
| 1965 | 526 | #403 | — | — |
| 1960 | 899 | #315 | — | — |
| 1955 | 993 | #273 | 8 | #3,008 |
| 1950 | 1,038 | #234 | 18 | #1,756 |
| 1945 | 916 | #211 | 20 | #1,506 |
| 1940 | 950 | #194 | 33 | #1,162 |
| 1935 | 1,124 | #171 | 39 | #1,023 |
| 1930 | 1,654 | #136 | 48 | #980 |
| 1925 | 1,503 | #159 | 66 | #816 |
| 1920 | 1,019 | #194 | 72 | #786 |
| 1915 | 809 | #204 | 51 | #863 |
| 1910 | 274 | #233 | 12 | #939 |
| 1905 | 184 | #232 | 19 | #531 |
| 1900 | 156 | #262 | 7 | #1,066 |
| 1895 | 118 | #259 | — | — |
| 1890 | 72 | #291 | 6 | #906 |
| 1885 | 49 | #284 | 8 | #711 |
| 1880 | 21 | #354 | — | — |
Famous people named Claire
- Claire Forlani Actor · b. 1971
- Claire Bloom Actor · b. 1931
- Claire Denis Film director · b. 1946
- Claire Bretécher Comic artist · 1940–2020
- Claire Lee Chennault Pilot · 1890–1958
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Claire mean?
Borrowed from French Claire, also a spelling variant of the English Clare.
How popular is the name Claire in 2025?
Claire ranked #68 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 3,487 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Claire?
214,123 babies have been named Claire in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Claire most popular?
Claire peaked in 2016, when 5,216 newborns received the name.
Is Claire a boy or girl name?
Claire is overwhelmingly a girl's name — 99% of babies with the name.
Is the name Claire rising or falling?
Claire is declining — less popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Claire?
Well-known people named Claire include Claire Forlani (actor), Claire Bloom (actor), Claire Denis (film director).