Claire (given name)

Claire or Clair is a given name of French origin. The word means clear in French in its feminine form. Its popularity in the United Kingdom peaked during the 1970s and 1980s; in 1974 it was the second most popular female first name and in 1984 was still sixth, but by 1997 it had fallen out of the top 100 after several years of sharply declining popularity. 'French form of Clarus (see Clara). As an English name it is unisex, sometimes being regarded as a variant of Claire, French form of Clara. This was a common name in France throughout the 20th century, though it has since been eclipsed there by Clara. It was also very popular in the United Kingdom, especially in the 1970s'. In the early 20th century, it became more commonly used as a female name and is usually spelt Claire.