Clara or Klara is a female given name. It is the feminine form of the Late Latin name ''Clarus'' which meant "clear, bright, famous". Various early male Christian saints were named Clarus; the feminine form became popular after the 13th-century Saint

Clare of Assisi Clare of Assisi (born Chiara Offreduccio and sometimes spelled Clara, Clair, Claire, Sinclair; 16 July 1194 – 11 August 1253) was an Italian saint and one of the first followers of Francis of Assisi. She founded the Order of Poor Ladie ...

(called Chiara in Italian), one of the followers of

Saint Francis St. Francis or Saint Francis may refer to: Roman Catholic saints *Francis of Assisi (1181–1226), Italian founder of the Order of Friars Minor (Franciscans) *Francis of Paola (1416–1507), Italian (Calabrian) founder of the Order of the Minims * ...

, who renounced her privileged background and founded the order of Poor Clares. ''Clare'' was the main English form of the name used in the Middle Ages, but the Latin spelling ''Clara'' became more popular in the 19th century. Glara is a related Kurdish name with a common origin, meaning "vision or brightness".

People with this name

Given name

Clara Alm Clara Alm (born 10 September 1996) is a Swedish footballer midfielder who plays for Mallbackens IF Mallbackens IF is a football club from Mallbacken, 15 kilometres north of Sunne in Värmland, Sweden. The club was established in 1942 and playe ...

(born 1996), Swedish footballer * Clara Amfo (born 1984), British broadcaster and presenter *

Clara Arthur Clara Arthur (October 25, 1858 – July 26, 1929) was an American suffragist. She was inducted into the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame. After suffrage was achieved in Michigan, she devoted her efforts to establishing playgrounds in the city of Detr ...

(1858–1929), American suffragist *

Clara Ayres Clara Ayres (September 16, 1880 – May 17, 1917) was an American nurse who joined the United States Army during the First World War. Ayres and Helen Burnett Wood were the first two women to be killed while serving in the United States military, ...

(1880–1917), American nurse during the First World War *

Clara Barton Clarissa Harlowe Barton (December 25, 1821 – April 12, 1912) was an American nurse who founded the American Red Cross. She was a hospital nurse in the American Civil War, a teacher, and a patent clerk. Since nursing education was not then very ...

(1821–1912), pioneer American teacher, nurse and humanitarian *

Clara Doty Bates Clara Doty Bates (, Doty; December 22, 1838 – October 14, 1895) was a 19th-century American author who published a number of volumes of poetry and juvenile literature. Many of these works were illustrated, the designs being furnished by her sist ...

(1838–1895), American author * Clara Nettie Bates (1876-1966), American editor, writer, clubwoman *

Clara Bancroft Beatley Clara Bancroft Beatley (, Bancroft; January 12, 1858 – October 20, 1923) was an American educator, lecturer, and author, as well as a clubwoman and suffragist. A a descendant of staunch Unitarians, for many years, she served as the principal of t ...

(1858-1923), American educator, lecturer, author * Clara Beyers (1880–1950), American actress *

Clara Bindi Clara Bindi (born 1 November 1927) is an Italian actress. Biography Born in Naples, Bindi joined the Eduardo De Filippo theater company in the 1947-48 season and in 1948 made her film debut as Giulietta Del Bello in '' La macchina ammazzacatt ...

(born 1927), Italian actress * Clara Blandick (1876–1962), American actress *

Clara Bonde Clara Christina Eleonora Bonde af Björnö, née Rålamb (1 July 1806 - 12 January 1899) was a Swedish courtier. She was born to the royal equerry baron Claes Rålamb and the former maid of honor Ulrica Eleonora Rålamb, Ulrika Eleonora von Düb ...

(1806–1899), Swedish courtier and royal favourite * Clara Bow (1905–1965), American actress * Clara Louise Burnham (1854–1927), American novelist * Clara Butt (1872–1936), English contralto * Clara Germana Cele, South African woman stated in 1906 to have suffered demonic possession * Clara Marguerite Christian (1895–1964), first black woman to study at the University of Edinburgh * Clara Chung (born 1987), Korean-American singer/guitarist also known by her stage name, Clara C * Clara Rankin Coblentz (1863-1933), American social reformer *

Clara Eliot Clara Eliot (1896 – January 17, 1976) was an economist known for her work in consumer economics. She taught economics at Barnard College for many years. Biography Eliot was born in 1896, the granddaughter of Thomas Lamb Eliot and part of a prom ...

(1896–1976), economist * Clara Shortridge Foltz (1849-1934), first female attorney on the Pacific Coast, suffrage leader, founder of the public defender movement * Clara Grima (born 1971), Spanish mathematician * Clara Haskil (1895–1960), Romanian classical pianist, renowned as an interpreter of the classical and early romantic repertoire * Clara H. Hazelrigg (1861–1937), American author, educator and social reformer *

Clara Horton Clara Marie Horton (July 29, 1904 – December 4, 1976) was an American actress of the silent film era. Horton was born in Brooklyn. Her mother gave up a career as a piano soloist and instructor to raise her baby. She planned for Clara ...

(1904–1976), American actress * Clara Hughes (born 1972), Canadian athlete who has won medals in both the summer and winter Olympics *

Clara Immerwahr Clara Helene Immerwahr (; 21 June 1870 – 2 May 1915) was a German chemist. She was the first German woman to be awarded a doctorate in chemistry in Germany, and is credited with being a pacifist as well as a "heroine of the women's rights mov ...

(1870–1915), German chemist, first wife of Fritz Haber *

Clara Landsberg Clara Landsberg (March 8, 1873 – April 10, 1966) was an American educator. She was the leader of the adult education programme at Hull House, and was a close collaborator of Nobel laureate Jane Addams. She later taught at Bryn Mawr School with her ...

(1873–1966), American educator * Clara Lee (born 1985; real name Lee Sung-min), South Korean actress * Clara Lemlich (1886–1982), union organizer, consumer activist, member of the Communist Party * Clara Luper (1923–2011), American civil rights leader * Clara Maniu (1842–1929), Romanian feminist * Clara Morgane (born 1981), French porn star and singer * Clara Mulholland (1849–1934), Irish writer *

Clara Ng fromClara Ng (last name pronounced ; ; born 28 July 1973) is an Indonesian writer who is known for both adult fiction and children's literature. During her childhood in Jakarta, Ng enjoyed reading and read at an advanced rate. After finishin ...

(born 1973), Indonesian writer * Klara Izabella Pacowa (1631–1685), politically active Polish court official * Clara Paget (born 1988), British model and actress * Clara Petacci (1912–1945), mistress of Benito Mussolini * Clara Rockmore (1911–1998), Lithuanian virtuosa of the theremin * Clara Schønfeld (1856–1938), Danish actress * Clara Schumann (1819–1896), German pianist, composer * Clara Sosa (born 1993), Paraguayan model, television personality and beauty queen *

Clara Harrison Stranahan Clara Harrison Stranahan (, Harrison; pen name, C. H. Stranahan; April 9, 1831 – January 22, 1905) was an American author and the founder of Barnard College. Long identified with the higher education of women in the United States, she was at one ...

(1831–1905), American author, college founder * Clara Tott (1440–1520), German singer *

Clara Augusta Jones Trask Clara Augusta Jones Trask (, Jones; pen names, Clara Augusta and Hero Strong; June 22, 1839 – January 2, 1905) was a popular 19th-century American writer from New Hampshire, with several hundred titles to her credit. A dime novelist, she wrote ...

(1839–1805), American writer * Clara Ursin (1828–1890), Norwegian (originally Danish) stage actress and opera singer * Clara Belle Williams (1885–1994), first African-American graduate of New Mexico State University * Clara Kimball Young (1890–1960), American actress * Clara Zetkin (1857–1933), German Marxist theorist and women's rights activist

Surname

Aemilia Clara Aemilia may refer to: People and places in classical history * Aemilia (gens), patrician family of ancient Rome, and the female members of this ''gens'' * Aemilia Tertia (c. 230–163 or 162 BC), third daughter of Lucius Aemilius Paullus, and wife ...

, Roman woman who lived in the 2nd century * Didia Clara (born about 153), only child of the Roman Emperor Didius Julianus and Empress Manlia Scantilla

Animals with this name

Clara the Rhinoceros Clara ( – 14 April 1758) was a female Indian rhinoceros who became famous during 17 years of touring Europe in the mid-18th century. She arrived in Europe in Rotterdam in 1741, becoming the fifth living rhinoceros to be seen in Europe in moder ...

, female Indian rhinoceros who became famous during 17 years of touring Europe in the mid-18th century *Clara the Cow, live mascot in Greek Mega Channel's entertainment programme ''

Poly tin Kyriaki Poly Tin Kyriaki (Much on Sunday), later known as Pio Poli Tin Kiriaki (Even More on Sunday) is a Greek entertainment show on Mega Channel, hosted by showman Grigoris Arnaoutoglou and Marietta Hroussala and later Kalomoira. In its first season, t ...

'' (Too Much on Sunday)

Fictional characters

* Clara, the protagonist in Tchaikovsky's classic ballet '' The Nutcracker'' * Clara in Bob Dylan's 1975 surrealist film '' Renaldo and Clara'' * Clara in

E. T. A. Hoffmann Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann (born Ernst Theodor Wilhelm Hoffmann; 24 January 1776 – 25 June 1822) was a German Romantic author of fantasy and Gothic horror, a jurist, composer, music critic and artist. Penrith Goff, "E.T.A. Hoffmann" in E ...

's short story "

The Sandman The Sandman is a mythical character in European folklore who puts people to sleep and encourages and inspires beautiful dreams by sprinkling magical sand onto their eyes. Representation in traditional folklore The Sandman is a traditional charact ...

" * Aunt Clara, minor character in the 1960s television series ''

Bewitched ''Bewitched'' is an American fantasy sitcom television series that originally aired for eight seasons on ABC from September 17, 1964, to March 25, 1972. It is about a witch who marries an ordinary mortal man and vows to lead the life of a typic ...

'' *

Princess Clara This is a list of characters appearing in the animated television series '' Drawn Together''. Main characters Princess Clara ;Voiced by Tara Strong Princess Clara is a parody of Disney princesses (mostly Ariel from '' The Little Mermaid' ...

, character in the American animated television series '' Drawn Together'' * Clara, protagonist in Elizabeth Spencer's novella '' The Light in the Piazza'' and in the book's film and musical adaptation * Clara, the main antagonist in the 1972 animated film '' Snoopy Come Home'' * Clara Belle in the video game '' MySims'' * Clara Brereton, impoverished niece of Lady Denham in

Jane Austen Jane Austen (; 16 December 1775 – 18 July 1817) was an English novelist known primarily for her six major novels, which interpret, critique, and comment upon the British landed gentry at the end of the 18th century. Austen's plots of ...

’s unfinished novel '' Sanditon'' (1817) * Clara Clayton, wife of Doc Brown in the '' Back to the Future'' film series * Clara Cluck, recurring character in Disney's Mickey Mouse cartoons * Clara de Clare, rich woman who becomes a nun in Walter Scott's '' Marmion'' * María Clara de los Santos, heroine of the novel '' Noli Me Tángere'' * Clara Durrant in Virginia Woolf's novel ''

Jacob's Room ''Jacob's Room'' is the third novel by Virginia Woolf, first published on 26 October 1922. The novel centres, in a very ambiguous way, around the life story of the protagonist Jacob Flanders and is presented almost entirely through the impress ...

'' * Clara Oswald,

companion Companion may refer to: Relationships Currently * Any of several interpersonal relationships such as friend or acquaintance * A domestic partner, akin to a spouse * Sober companion, an addiction treatment coach * Companion (caregiving), a caregive ...

of the Eleventh and Twelfth Doctor in the British sci-fi television series ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...

'' * Clara Sesemann, the invalid friend in Johanna Spyri's '' Heidi'' * Clara del Valle Trueba, the clairvoyant key female figure of Isabel Allende's first novel, '' The House of the Spirits''

References