Total births
300,524
Girls' name · since 1880
Clara
Clara has 300,524 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1918 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #78
- among girls today
- 300,524
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 99.6%
- more common than other girls
300,524 babies have been named Clara since 1880, making it today's #78 girls' name.
Social Security Administration records show Clara recorded 300,524 times among girls since 1880, holding rank #78 nationally today, ahead of 99.6% of girls, peaking in the 1920s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #78 among girls today
- 300,524 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 99.6% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Clara is currently the #78 girls' name in America, more common than 99.6% of girls - 300,524 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #78
- among girls today
- 300,524
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 99.6%
- more common than other girls
Clara vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#78
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 99.6% of names given to girls today.
1920s
Peak decade
16% of everyone ever named Clara was born in this single decade.
1918
Single peak year
5,778 babies were named Clara in 1918 - its busiest year on record.
How Clara compares
300,524 Top 1% higher than 99% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Clara's all-time total is 787x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Clara | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 300,524 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 5,778 | 48 | 19,840 |
Clara's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Clara's full recorded timeline at 1953, 28% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 72% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1978, with just 287 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1918 peak of 5,778 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Clara at a glance
Top 100 girls' namePeak year
1918
Current rank
#78
Active since
1880
Clara popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1918)
- 5,778
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Clara popularity over time - boys
1,016 total births recorded since 1880 (Clara as boys' name)
Clara by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Clara's strongest decade.
48,183 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 16% of all-time use.
Clara births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 17,717
1880s
17,717 births
- 1890s
1890s
25,473 births
- 1900s
1900s
23,899 births
- 1910s
1910s
44,346 births
- 1920s
1920s
48,183 births
- 1930s
1930s
31,658 births
- 1940s
1940s
20,028 births
- 1950s 12,768
1950s
12,768 births
- 1960s 6,505
1960s
6,505 births
- 1970s 3,290
1970s
3,290 births
- 1980s 3,668
1980s
3,668 births
- 1990s 6,266
1990s
6,266 births
- 2000s 12,789
2000s
12,789 births
- 2010s
2010s
26,657 births
- 2020s 17,277
2020s
17,277 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 48,183 births (16% of all-time use).
How Clara compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Clara's total volume
Clara vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Clara by state
Where Clara concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 15,316 | 5.1% |
| #2 | New York | | 13,537 | 4.5% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 13,137 | 4.4% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 11,032 | 3.7% |
| #5 | North Carolina | | 10,729 | 3.6% |
| #6 | California | | 10,477 | 3.5% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 9,510 | 3.2% |
| #8 | Georgia | | 9,241 | 3.1% |
Texas share of Clara's total US births 5.1%
Even split
15,316 of 300,524 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Clara appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Clara? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 300,524 babies named Clara. Today it holds rank #78 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1918, with 5,778 births.
When was Clara most popular? ▼
Clara was most popular in the 1920s decade with 48,183 total births. The single peak year was 1918.
Where is Clara most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Clara are Texas (15,316 births), New York (13,537 births), Pennsylvania (13,137 births).
How long has the name Clara been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Clara since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Clara? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Claire, Claudia, Clarissa, Clare, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Clara's data
- Clara's usage has stayed within range of its 1920s decade-level peak (48,183 total births) through the 2020s (17,277) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Texas records the most Claras (15,316 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Clara
Nearby Names Like Clara
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Clara
Claire Girl
#67 211,919 births
Claudia Girl
#1086 128,318 births
Clarissa Girl
#1161 40,484 births
Clare Girl
#948 31,456 births
Clarice Girl
#2780 25,474 births
Compare Clara side by side: Clara vs Claire Clara vs Claudia Clara vs Clarissa
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Clara
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Clara: #78 Girls' Name - 300,524 Births, Peak 1918." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/clara. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Clara draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.