Name Clara Origin, meaning, pronunciation & popularity of the name Clara

Q: What does the name Clara mean?

Clara means 'famous', 'clear' or 'bright' (from Latin 'clarus').

What is the origin of the name Clara?

Clara is a feminine variant of the Latin boy’s name Clarus.

What does the name Clara mean?

Clara means “famous”, “clear” or “bright” (from Latin “clarus”).

Clara, a beautiful girl’s name

The name Clara is pretty, timeless and easy to pronounce. In addition to the variant Clara, there is also the spelling Klara, which is especially common in Germany. With the meaning “bright”, it also gives your little daughter a beautiful message on her journey through life. Similar first names are Cara, Lara and Clarissa.

Middle names

If your little Clara should get a middle name, Clara Sophie, Clara Elaine, Clara Isabelle, Clara Dorothy or Clara Rosalie are nice options.

Known Claras in the history of the world

Clara Galle (born 2002) is a Pamplona-born Spanish actress and model. She became famous in 2022 for her appearance in the novel adaptation “Through my Window – I only see you”. Clara is also active on social media.
Clara Barton (1821 - 1912) was an American nurse, teacher and philanthropist. She was the founder of the American Red Cross and a pioneer in social work. After founding a very successful school in New Jersey, Clara moved to Washington D.C. to become the first female employee in the government as a secretary in the Patent office. In 1861, when the Civil War started, Clara quit her job and worked voluntarily as a nurse for wounded soldiers. Through her long life, she had a strong influence on the work of the Red Cross and worked on the sites of many national and international catastrophes and wars. At the age of 86, Clara retired from being the president of the Red Cross. Her work and life are honored and remembered by a memorial site at her former house.
An important and well-known Clara in German history is the politician and women’s rights activist Clara Zetkin (1857 - 1933). She was born Clara Josephine Eißner and was very much encouraged educationally by her parents. In 1878, she joined what would later become the SPD and began to become politically active. In the course of her political career, Clara Zetkin had to go into exile several times, as her social democratic and emancipatory contents were not always welcome in the German Empire. A high point in Clara Zetkin’s political career was her time as a member of parliament in the Weimar Republic, where she represented the KPD as a deputy from 1920 to 1933. At the end of her career she warned against the negative influence of the NSDAP on German politics. When the NSDAP and Adolf Hitler seized power in 1933, the KPD was expelled from the Reichstag and Clara then went into exile again in the Soviet Union, where she died a short time later. There are many parks, statues and other memorials in Germany in her honor.
Another well-known Clara of the German past is Clara Schumann (1819 - 1896), born Clara Josephine Wieck in Leipzig. Her parents both had musical backgrounds and raised Clara with a musical focus. After her parents’ divorce, Clara lived with her father, who raised her to be a concert pianist according to his latest musical pedagogical concept. As a result, Clara performed on stage at a very young age of under ten and was revered as a child prodigy. In 1830, Clara’s future husband, Robert Schumann, moved in with her and her father to be taught by the latter. The young Schumanns’ household was frequented by many famous artists of the time, such as Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy and Franz Liszt. In commemoration of her life’s work, there are numerous tributes, film adaptations, and other forms of appreciation.