[name_f]My[/name_f] husband and I are expecting a baby in [name_u]January[/name_u] and are so torn between [name_f]Claire[/name_f] and [name_f]Clara[/name_f] (pronounced CLAIR-UH) if it’s a girl. We have loved [name_f]Claire[/name_f] for a long time but recently someone made a comment that they thought it sounded dated and like an 80’s/90’s name (like a [name_f]Megan[/name_f], [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] or [name_f]Amanda[/name_f] - no offence to anyone with these names, I happen to be a [name_f]Megan[/name_f] myself!).
What do you all think? Is [name_f]Claire[/name_f] dated? Is [name_f]Clara[/name_f] more fresh? We had hoped to choose a name that was classic, timeless and vintage/historical (along the same lines as [name_f]Olivia[/name_f] and [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] as we love these names but they are just so popular). [name_f]Do[/name_f] either (or both) [name_f]Claire[/name_f] and [name_f]Clara[/name_f] align with the vibe we are going for? Which one do you consider more “in” right now?
I don’t know any little Claire’s or Clara’s myself. They seem like pretty uncommon choices these days, which I am surprised at! I had thought these names would be experiencing more popularity but they are pretty far down the list in [name_f]Canada[/name_f]. [name_f]Claire[/name_f] is #41 and [name_f]Clara[/name_f] is #50.
[name_f]Claire[/name_f] is a beautiful classic and goes way back before the 1980s.
[name_f]Clara[/name_f] is pretty too but it wasn’t until recently that I’ve heard people pronouncing it CLAIR-UH. I knew a couple of Claras when I was young and they both pronounced it CLAR-UH (with the a sound as in cat.)
To me [name_f]Claire[/name_f] will always be tied to the Modern Family character and therefore it does seem a bit “middle-aged” to me. [name_f]Clara[/name_f], on the other hand, is the definition of timeless to me. It’s both modern, fresh, and historic. [name_f]My[/name_f] vote definitely goes to [name_f]Clara[/name_f]!
I think both names are beautiful and timeless. I know lots of Claire’s ( (varying in age from 80-2) but no Clara’s (except the Olympian [name_f]Clara[/name_f] [name_m]Hughes[/name_m] )
I’m from Atlantic [name_f]Canada[/name_f] and I don’t associate [name_f]Claire[/name_f] with any particular era - it’s a name I’ve come across occasionally but across many generations. [name_f]Clara[/name_f] was an “old lady name” to me until the last 10 or so years, so if anything I would say that it’s the more “in” right now. Both of them are lovely!
I think [name_f]Claire[/name_f] is more traditionally classic in an [name_f]English[/name_f] context; I see her as a sister to [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f], [name_u]James[/name_u], or [name_f]Katherine[/name_f] while [name_f]Clara[/name_f] feels a little fresher at the moment but also has that vintage classic vibe; I see [name_f]Clara[/name_f] as a sister to [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f], [name_f]Violet[/name_f], [name_u]Henry[/name_u] or [name_m]Jacob[/name_m].
Personally, I think [name_f]Clara[/name_f] fits the vibe you’re looking for a little more, being similar to [name_f]Olivia[/name_f] and [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f].
Both [name_f]Claire[/name_f] & [name_f]Clara[/name_f] are beautiful, classic names & you can’t go wrong either way. I wouldn’t say that [name_f]Claire[/name_f] is dated, but [name_f]Clara[/name_f] has a bit more of a vintage feel to me. Honestly, I think you should just use whichever you personally prefer.
I prefer [name_f]Claire[/name_f]! It seems more timeless to me than [name_f]Clara[/name_f]. I think [name_f]Clara[/name_f] has that vintage feel which is trendy at the moment. So ironically it could become more easily dated than [name_f]Claire[/name_f].
I actually prefer the “CLAIR-uh” pronunciation for Clara, but I’m American. I think Clara’s considered a tad old ladyish to previous generations, but it’s much fresher than Claire.
Ultimately, I like both names, but growing up, I considered Claire “basic.” Still, casting aside my childhood association, they both have a wonderfully clear and bright sound.
All of the Claires I’ve met have been around my age (mid to late 20s). But I’ve met a [name_f]Clara[/name_f] who’s only a few years old. So I do tend to associate [name_f]Claire[/name_f] with older people, not necessarily 80s but more like 90s, but that’s just my personal experience. I think either name would be ok.
Speaking as an American, Claire seems more timeless to me, and Clara more vintage revival because of its great popularity around the turn of last century. Still, both names are enduring classics. I’ve heard that Claire was an 80s name in the UK, but here (and I’m guessing Canada is closer to US trends?) it first cracked the top 100 in 1998. Although Claire is more popular, Clara seems fresher and more stylish. I love both, but I think I prefer Clara for its delicate, girly charm. Edit: But Claire is so sweet! I can’t decide, lol!
i think since you pronounce clara similar to claire, it is a good way to get both names, using claire as a nickname, so i prefer it for being more versatile. i see clara as slightly more on trend right now, but i’d never class either these names as trendy names, they are both timeless classics
[name_f]Clara[/name_f] gives me more of the classic, vintage, timeless vibe and does feel fresher. It’s a beautiful name. I don’t think [name_f]Claire[/name_f] is dated though
I don’t think you can go wrong with either though I personally prefer [name_f]Clara[/name_f] slightly. Weirdly I think [name_f]Clara[/name_f] is both more vintage/historical AND “in”/trendy because of vintage style names like [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f], [name_f]Amelia[/name_f], etc. have become popular for first names. I know a couple little girls named [name_f]Clara[/name_f], but also a few babies with the middle name [name_f]Claire[/name_f]. I think [name_f]Claire[/name_f] has been holding pretty steady, not mega popular but not dropping off the charts and doesn’t sound too dated or 80s to me (I’m in [name_f]Canada[/name_f] as well).
There were many, many factors that went into our decision:
Claire from Modern Family stresses me out
There was a girl named Claire in our neighborhood
We have a monosyllabic last name, so we are always looking for more syllables
We wanted a name that wasn’t too popular, and Claire was higher up on the charts, at least at the time
My husband and I just… liked it better. Totally personal preference. (I think it being a Doctor Who character made it more wearable to him? )
Now that we’ve named her Clara, we do have to really make it clear that her name is Clara and not Claire, especially when introducing her for the first time. I don’t know if Claires face the same problem, just the other way around? Maybe not?
I’ll echo the general consensus that both are great names! Good luck!
I think @OpheliaFlora nailed it here. [name_f]Claire[/name_f] is more traditional but [name_f]Clara[/name_f] is more vintage. It sounds like [name_f]Clara[/name_f] might be more of the vibe you’re after, and is definitely more on-trend at the moment. Personally I prefer [name_f]Claire[/name_f]. I’ve only known 2 or 3 in my life.
Our youngest is [name_f]Clara[/name_f] and we are very happy with the choice! We wanted a timeless classic name but not as popular as some of the top 10. No one has thought her name was [name_f]Claire[/name_f] yet, and everyone has remarked on what a beautiful name she has.
Good luck with your choice! Can’t really go wrong either way and I think both are lovely.
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