Total births
31,456
Unisex name · since 1880
Clare
31,456 babies named Clare in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1998. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #948
- among girls today
- 31,456
- born since 1880
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 95%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Clare is the #948 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 31,456 recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Clare recorded 31,456 times among girls since 1880, holding rank #948 nationally today, ahead of 95% of girls, peaking in the 2000s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #948 among girls today
- 31,456 born since 1880
- 2000s peak decade
- 95% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Clare is currently the #948 unisex name in America, more common than 95% of girls - 31,456 born since 1880, peaking in the 2000s.
- #948
- among girls today
- 31,456
- born since 1880
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 95%
- more common than other girls
Clare vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#948
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 95% of names given to girls today.
2000s
Peak decade
14% of everyone ever named Clare was born in this single decade.
1998
Single peak year
510 babies were named Clare in 1998 - its busiest year on record.
How Clare compares
31,456 Top 5% higher than 95% 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
Clare's all-time total is 82x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Clare | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 31,456 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 510 | 48 | 19,840 |
Clare's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Clare splits its recorded history at 1953: 68% of all births land in the more recent half, 32% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1880 (15 births) -- compare that against the 1998 peak of 510 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Clare at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
1998
Current rank
#948
Active since
1880
Clare popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1998)
- 510
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Clare popularity over time - boys
3,054 total births recorded since 1880 (Clare as boys' name)
Clare by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Clare's strongest decade.
4,396 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 14% of all-time use.
Clare births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 277
1880s
277 births
- 1890s 455
1890s
455 births
- 1900s 607
1900s
607 births
- 1910s 1,655
1910s
1,655 births
- 1920s
1920s
2,339 births
- 1930s
1930s
1,879 births
- 1940s
1940s
2,128 births
- 1950s
1950s
2,880 births
- 1960s
1960s
2,245 births
- 1970s 1,076
1970s
1,076 births
- 1980s
1980s
2,039 births
- 1990s
1990s
3,968 births
- 2000s
2000s
4,396 births
- 2010s
2010s
3,777 births
- 2020s 1,735
2020s
1,735 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 4,396 births (14% of all-time use).
How Clare 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 Clare's total volume
Clare vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Clare by state
Where Clare concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 3,871 | 12.3% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 2,738 | 8.7% |
| #3 | California | | 2,198 | 7.0% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 2,032 | 6.5% |
| #5 | Massachusetts | | 1,662 | 5.3% |
| #6 | New Jersey | | 1,492 | 4.7% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 1,399 | 4.4% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 1,134 | 3.6% |
New York share of Clare's total US births 12.3%
Even split
3,871 of 31,456 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 45 reporting states.
Clare appears in 45 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Clare? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 31,456 babies named Clare. Today it holds rank #948 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1998, with 510 births.
When was Clare most popular? ▼
Clare was most popular in the 2000s decade with 4,396 total births. The single peak year was 1998.
Where is Clare most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Clare are New York (3,871 births), Pennsylvania (2,738 births), California (2,198 births).
Is Clare a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Clare is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 31,456 births, and as a boy's name it has 3,054 births.
How long has the name Clare been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Clare since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Clare? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Clara, Claire, Claudia, Clarissa, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Clare's data
- Clare's usage has stayed within range of its 2000s decade-level peak (4,396 total births) through the 2020s (1,735) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- New York records the most Clares (3,871 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 Clare
Nearby Names Like Clare
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Clare
Clara Girl
#78 300,524 births
Claire Girl
#67 211,919 births
Claudia Girl
#1086 128,318 births
Clarissa Girl
#1161 40,484 births
Clarice Girl
#2780 25,474 births
Compare Clare side by side: Clare vs Clara Clare vs Claire Clare vs Claudia
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Clare
Ainhoa #947
2,481 births · Peak 2019
Aadhya #949
3,476 births · Peak 2017
Elliot #946
7,008 births · Peak 2019
Saanvi #950
4,945 births · Peak 2011
Guinevere #945
4,592 births · Peak 2022
Salome #951
4,942 births · Peak 2024
Lilianna #944
8,808 births · Peak 2012
Rosalee #952
12,900 births · Peak 2020
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. "Clare: #948 Unisex Name - 31,456 Births, Peak 1998." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/clare. 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 Clare 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.