Clara
Girl name · #63 in 2025 · Uniqueness 31/100
Clara ranks #63 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 3,601 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #98, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 500 girls born in 2025 was named Clara.
Babies named Clara per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 145-year story
Clara first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 1,226 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1918, when 5,778 girls were named Clara — good for #43 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Clara against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Clara in class?
Clara scores 31 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "popular" band. A low score means broad familiarity: teachers will spell it right, and your child may share it with a classmate. For many families that's a feature, not a bug.
Where Clara is most common
Geography matters for names, and Clara is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Claras were TX (303), CA (253), NY (188), OH (176), FL (150). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Clara
Statistically, parents drawn to Clara tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Vivian, Alice, Ruby, Vera, and Eva.
VivianAliceRubyVeraEvaAmaraLillianElsie
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Clara | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3,601 | #63 |
| 2024 | 3,072 | #78 |
| 2023 | 2,662 | #98 |
| 2022 | 2,553 | #110 |
| 2021 | 2,693 | #102 |
| 2020 | 2,696 | #103 |
| 2019 | 2,951 | #95 |
| 2018 | 2,892 | #103 |
| 2017 | 3,045 | #95 |
| 2016 | 3,075 | #100 |
| 2015 | 3,070 | #98 |
| 2014 | 2,860 | #108 |
| 2013 | 2,508 | #131 |
| 2012 | 2,336 | #136 |
| 2011 | 2,078 | #151 |
| 2010 | 1,842 | #167 |
| 2009 | 1,650 | #199 |
| 2008 | 1,654 | #204 |
| 2007 | 1,555 | #225 |
| 2006 | 1,497 | #231 |
| 2005 | 1,332 | #246 |
| 2004 | 1,173 | #282 |
| 2003 | 1,060 | #294 |
| 2002 | 1,031 | #302 |
| 2001 | 958 | #323 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Clara a popular girl name?
Clara ranked #63 among girls in 2025 with 3,601 babies given the name — firmly in the top 100, so yes, it’s a popular choice. Ten years earlier it ranked #98.
When was the name Clara most popular?
Clara peaked in 1918, when 5,778 American girls received the name (ranked #43 that year). Since 1918 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Clara?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 500 newborn American girls was named Clara. It scores 31/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "popular".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.