Claire

The name’s enduring religious significance comes from Saint Clare of Assisi (1194-1253), the Italian noblewoman who became a follower of Saint Francis of Assisi and founded the Order of Poor Ladies, later renamed the Poor Clares.

Her feast day is August 11, and she was named the patron saint of television by Pope Pius XII in 1958, in reference to a vision she experienced of a Christmas Mass projected on the wall of her cell.

The basilica of Santa Chiara in Assisi houses her remains.

Other notable Saint Clares include Clare of Montefalco (1268-1308), an Augustinian mystic. The name spread throughout French and English noble families in the medieval period.

Literary bearers include the title character of Henry James’s The American (1877), Claire Underwood of the television series House of Cards, and Claire Beauchamp Randall of Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series (1991 onward), portrayed on screen by

Caitríona Balfe since 2014.

In the United States, Claire ranked within the top 200 from 1880 through 1925, then declined to its low point in the 1960s. It returned to the top 200 in 1980 and has steadily risen since, crossing into the top 100 in 1999.

It peaked at rank 38 in 2014 and has remained within the top 60. The name is consistently popular in France, Belgium, and the United Kingdom, where it has maintained continuous top 100 presence.

Contemporary bearers include American actress Claire Danes, English actress Claire Foy of The Crown, and journalist Claire Shipman.

The name’s classical brevity, French elegance, religious gravitas, and international adaptability have made it one of the most consistently chosen feminine names across the Western world.