Claire
/klɛər/
proper noun
Origin
Latin
clarus — clear, bright, famous
Overview
Meaning Now
- A feminine given name of French origin, meaning 'bright', 'clear', or 'famous'.
Literal older meaning
bright, clear
Language path
Latin → Old French → French → English
Earliest form
Clara
Earliest period
12th century
Journey
The name became widespread in medieval Europe primarily due to the fame of Saint Clare of Assisi (1194–1253), a follower of Saint Francis of Assisi and founder of the Order of Poor Ladies.
Evolution
- Classical Latin
clarus
“clear, bright”
- Late Latin
Clara
“bright one (feminine name)”
- Old French
Claire
“bright, clear”
- Middle English
Claire
“bright, clear (as a name)”
Introduced through French influence.
Connections
Word parts
clar-
root
clear, bright
-e
ending
feminine suffix in French
Related across languages
Italian
Chiara
bright
Spanish
clear
Related words
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.