A female name. (French Claire, Italian Chiara): f. of Latin clarus ‘bright’, ‘clear’; occurs in England from the beginning of the 13th C; in Latin as Clara, in English as Clare. It was apparently a f. form of Clarus, the name of at least two saints, a 3rd-C Bishop of Nantes and a 7th-C Norman saint; the latter gave his name to St Clair in Normandy, from which came the well-known family of St Clair or Sinclair. Later the popularity of the name was increased by St Clare of Assisi (1193-1253), the friend of St Francis and founder of the Order of Poor Clares. Clare, though never common, is found in every century from the 13th onward. The latinized form Clara came into fashion in the 19th C, but both forms continued to be used (cf. Tennyson’s Lady Clare, and Lady Clara Vere de Vere).

Clara Curia Regis Rolls 1210, Poll Tax of West Riding of Yorkshire 1379 1379. Clare Poll Tax of West Riding of Yorkshire 1379 1379, Yorks Rec 1610, Lyford 1655.

Which is far more generally heard than its m. companions in the baptismal game. It is the f. of Latin clarus, ‘clear’, hence ‘renowned’: cf. the etymology of Clarence. The earliest recorded Chiara (the Italian form of the name) was that devoted follower of St. Francis who, under his guidance, founded a religious order: the Sisters of St. Clara, or ‘poor Clares’, from whom rapidly spread this name of Clara in various shapes and to all European countries.

A modern form of Clare.

Latin (feminine) - Clear light.

A Latin name, meaning: Illustrious: bright.