Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 1923

Clair

Meaning A less common spelling of Claire Gender Unisex · 26% girls Rank 2025 Below top lists Trend ↓ Falling 100%

A less common spelling of Claire.

Rank 2025
–
among boys
Babies in 2025
29
named Clair · -3% vs 2024
How common
–
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1923
405 babies
All-time total
16,351
#1,082 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Clair popularity over time

16,351 babies have been named Clair since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.10.20.30.418801900192019401960198020002020GirlsBoys
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s 10 156 166 17 – #361
1890s 57 295 352 35 +112% #292
1900s 92 397 489 49 +39% #300
1910s 246 2,212 2,458 246 +403% #288
1920s 370 3,169 3,539 354 +44% #295
1930s 290 2,319 2,609 261 -26% #313
1940s 321 1,541 1,862 186 -29% #439
1950s 376 1,061 1,437 144 -23% #596
1960s 263 513 776 78 -46% #882
1970s 206 199 405 41 -48% #1,662
1980s 432 110 542 54 +34% #2,292
1990s 536 42 578 58 +7% #5,602
2000s 516 12 528 53 -9% #8,468
2010s 433 10 443 44 -16% #12,563
2020s (to 2025) 162 5 167 28 -37% #12,405

The story of Clair

Clair is not currently in use for newborns in the United States: fewer than five babies received the name in 2025. Its story lives in the historical record below.

Since 1880, 16,351 American babies have been named Clair, about 74% boys and 26% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 1923, when 405 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1920s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Clair stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Clair?

The median living Clair is about 61 years old; half are between 31 and 76. An estimated 5,800 people named Clair are alive in the United States today.

median 61 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Clair year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 29 #4,680 – –
2024 30 #4,584 – –
2023 28 #4,781 – –
2022 18 #6,512 – –
2021 26 #4,991 – –
2020 31 #4,375 5 #12,405
2019 40 #3,734 – –
2018 33 #4,256 – –
2017 29 #4,721 – –
2016 31 #4,554 5 #12,563
2015 48 #3,360 – –
2014 57 #2,976 – –
2013 45 #3,483 – –
2012 56 #3,016 – –
2011 51 #3,234 5 #12,633
2010 43 #3,636 – –
2009 56 #3,055 – –
2008 64 #2,809 – –
2007 62 #2,895 – –
2006 47 #3,420 – –
2005 48 #3,223 – –
2004 41 #3,577 – –
2003 49 #3,051 – –
2002 53 #2,827 5 #10,964
2001 46 #3,058 7 #8,468
2000 50 #2,869 – –
1995 62 #2,164 7 #7,122
1990 49 #2,466 7 #6,530
1985 55 #1,976 11 #3,840
1980 22 #3,632 22 #2,292
1975 28 #2,693 14 #2,778
1970 18 #3,454 27 #1,662
1965 15 #3,285 57 #976
1960 33 #1,986 67 #923
1955 35 #1,776 99 #732
1950 44 #1,379 113 #659
1945 29 #1,519 132 #521
1940 30 #1,377 175 #439
1935 22 #1,615 217 #366
1930 51 #1,032 314 #313
1925 34 #1,383 310 #326
1920 40 #1,212 339 #311
1915 26 #1,410 297 #291
1910 8 #1,800 35 #464
1905 13 #1,067 43 #306
1900 11 #1,179 39 #350
1895 7 #1,326 31 #331
1890 – – 20 #407
1885 – – 14 #503
1880 5 #849 12 #536

Famous people named Clair

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Clair Cameron Patterson Clair Cameron Patterson American geochemist (1922–1995) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Clair, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Clair?

The median living Clair is about 61 years old. Half of all living Clairs are between 31 and 76 years old.

How many people named Clair are alive today?

An estimated 5,800 people named Clair are alive in the United States, based on 16,351 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Clair mean?

A less common spelling of Claire.

How popular is the name Clair in 2025?

Clair did not appear in the 2025 Social Security data, which means fewer than five babies received the name that year.

How many people are named Clair?

16,351 babies have been named Clair in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Clair most popular?

Clair peaked in 1923, when 405 newborns received the name.

Is Clair a boy or girl name?

Clair is used for both: about 26% of babies named Clair have been girls and 74% boys.

Is the name Clair rising or falling?

Clair has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Who are famous people named Clair?

Well-known people named Clair include Clair Cameron Patterson (biologist).

Names like Clair

Names that sound and feel close to Clair: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Clair with similar names → More names starting with C →