She’s a good girl, but she’s no pushover. She can even be a bit of a siren. Today’s Name of the Day goes out with birthday greetings to Emmy Jo, and also to Another.
Without further ado, let’s talk about Clara.
She’s almost a shape-shifter. Clara sounds sweet. Like Emma and Hannah, she’s got a certain laciness to her – not too frilly, but clearly feminine. Factor in that she was at her most popular back in the 19th century, and Clara sounds like a charming antique.
But Clara has been worn by two successful, influential – and very different – women. Their legacies give Clara plenty of backstory, and make us wonder why she has yet to be revived.
Born Clarissa, but known to the world as Clara Barton, our first notable bearer of the name is best remembered for working to establish the Red Cross in the wake of the US Civil War. Barton’s detractors argued that there would never be another calamity on the scale of the Civil War, and thus the organization was not needed. She responded that there would always be disaster, and a need for an organization ready to bring relief in any circumstance. In addition to nursing and organizing, she was a tireless suffragette and abolitionist. Her efforts endow her name with a certain integrity and stubborn strength.
Another Clara gives the name a silver screen shimmer: 1920s It Girl and silent film star Clara Bow. While her personal story is tinged with sorrow, her status as the ultimate flapper icon lends the name some serious glamour.
Whether they were inspired by Barton’s good works or Bow’s drama, plenty of parents landed on Clara as a name for their daughters in the early 20th century – she remained a Top 100 name through 1938. But Clara was actually falling from favor during those years. She’d been a Top Ten choice in the 1880s, along with Ida, Bertha, Emma and Alice.
While Clara never left the Top 1000, for many years she was eclipsed by Claire. In the 1970s, the unrelated but similar sounding Cara and Kara surpassed them both.
Today, Clara is climbing again. She’s gained every year since 1997, and today stands at #228. We suspect she’s being discovered by parents disappointed that Emma and Hannah are so very popular. Given her Hollywood appeal, she might even be a substitute for Ava. With Claire at a quite popular #66, Clara presents a twist on that name, too.
Overall, we think Clara offers a nice compromise. Unlike Hannah or Emma, she probably won’t share her name with others. But neither will she feel out of place. It helps that the meaning – shared with Claire – is simple and appealing. Both come from the Latin clarus meaning shining, bright. There’s even at least one notable starbaby wearing the name – firstborn daughter of Ewan McGregor, Clara Mathilde.
If you’re searching for something that is current but distinctive and classic without being plain, Clara feels like one to add to your short list.
Hmmm . .. I think you’re being very generous in your assessment, AM. Clara has two great big negatives for me . . . I have more than one old, fat great aunt with this name (from a large Italian family) and Clarabel the cow seems to be lurking just around the corner.
That being said, I can still hear it’s femininity and I imagine that one particularly cute little Clara might make rethink this name. I guess that you’re also right in that it’s like Emma and Hannah—two names I find kind of dull. Even once I get into the pretty-Clara mindset, it’s still kind of dull for me.
I have a GF with a little Clara (older sisters Phoebe & Olivia, little sister [maybe a month old now] Sybil.
Clara’s a bit too sweet for me. I like my names stronger and a touch less sweet. I like sweet for nicknames (Hence Posie & Fifi before Josie!) But she’s undeniably pretty.
I prefer Clarissa (Again, a literary thing for me, she’s Orry’s mother in John Jakes “North & South”) and Clara Barton as an assocation doesn’t hurt it at all.
Clara’s a lovely choice and If I did use it, I’d probably call her Clarabel at least a handful of times as a nickname (or maybe Clarabow…). I see nothing wrong with Claribel, since Annabel strikes me as just as much ‘cow’ yet people flock to Annabel. I think she’s really pretty and an ideal sister for Alice, Abigail or even Phoebe! Clara gets a :thumbsup: from me, she’s aces!
I LOVE Clara, I do, but I agree w/ Hippy to an extent. There is something a tad bland here. I think it is likely due to the very popular Claire, which I do not love. Add an -a to many a name and suddenly I’m for it.
You also mentioned Cara and Ava… Clara seems to have a blending quality about her. I prefer my names more distinctive and flamboyant, but I adore hearing Clara on others.
Lola – Sybil was my pick had my son been a girl! I think Clara, Sybil, Phoebe, and Olivia are a wonderful sib set. You must be so proud of your friend
I love Clara, and I like Clarissa, too! I was a fan of Claire until someone I knew made it a middle name for Madison. Now I can’t hear it without putting it with Madison. It’s a shame.
Back to Sybil – Verity, I know I ask a lot of you, but would you mind examining this one? It was my first pick for a little girl in 2006. I got a lot of negative feedback about it, but in my defense, Sybil was te name of a character in a movie – the actual MPD woman was Shirley.
Another, I didn’t know that Sybil was really Shirley! It’s an ancient name – in fact, I almost think the Sibyl spelling predates Sybil … but then I’m fairly sure that Disraeli used Sybil for his novel and that would’ve been 18??. That’s gonna be a fun one. She’ll be NotD on 9/18.
I was going to do Sibyl because of the ancient Sibyls – but an uncommon spelling of an uncommon name makes things tougher, as everyone knows!
Sybil it was to be…next baby might get a whole new name anyway.
Thanks, Verity! I do love Clara, but then again, I am into sweet, feminine names for girls. (Katherine and Lily were my favorites before I’d realized how popular they were.)
I’ve never met any “old, fat” great-aunt types with this name. My husband, though, had a great-aunt Clara who was generally regarded as the family saint, so the name has very positive associations in his family. I’d never heard of Clara Bow before; I’d always associated this name with Clara Barton and a relatively minor character in “Great Expectations.” I”ll have to look her up.
I really like Clara but one drawback is that I’ve heard it pronouced Clar -a (to rhyme with Car) and Clare-a (to rhyme with Clare) which is a tad confusing. It’s definately ripe for a comeback, in fact I think Ewan Mcgregor has a gaughter called Clara but just a little too sweet for me and a little to close to Clare – I have eight friends called Clare at the last count…
a ‘gaughter’ – um think I mean daughter there! opps!
It’s interesting to hear the reactions to Clara. As it happens, Nicole, my big Italian family is bursting with Claras, too. We had a matriarchal Chiara whose influence is still felt, three generations later. My mother was due to be named in her honor, but since there were already umpteen Claras, Clares and at least one Clarice, she became Clarina.
And she hates it. Passionately. Which is why she gave me a “normal” name, which I hated with equal force.
I do like Clara, but tend to agree that it sounds a bit too plain. Then again, we live in a big city where anything goes. Friends of ours – who live in the great middle of nowhere – already have an Emma and I suggested Clara should #2 be a girl. To them, Clara is appealing, but they worry it sounds *too* extreme.
All a matter of where you sit, I suppose.
What about Clea as an alternative (pronounce Clee-ah)? Here in France the name Cléa is gaining popularity and it keeps catching my eye. An old co-worker has a daughter with the name and I’ve always loved it. It’s so rare though, I’m not sure I should copy. Anyhow, I think it is lovely and somehow to me seems like an alternative to Clara, for someone who likes the sound but wants an unusual name.
It has long been looking for this information, Thank you for your work.
I like Clara because it sounds like a more legitimate version of Claire to me. I think its cute and can wear well on a young girl and a woman as well.
Pingback: Baby Name of the Day: Betty | Appellation Mountain
Pingback: Baby Name of the Day: Colette | Appellation Mountain
Pingback: Is C the new K? | Appellation Mountain
Pingback: Reader Baby Name Story: She Picked Her Own Name | Appellation Mountain
Pingback: Sunday Summary: 10/16/11 | Appellation Mountain
Pingback: Rerun: Predictions for 2009 | Appellation Mountain
Pingback: Baby Name of the Day: Bess | Appellation Mountain