Clara or Klara is a female given name. It is the feminine form of the

Late Latin Late Latin ( la, Latinitas serior) is the scholarly name for the form of Literary Latin of late antiquity.Roberts (1996), p. 537. English dictionary definitions of Late Latin date this period from the , and continuing into the 7th century in t ...

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 (called Chiara in Italian), one of the followers of Saint Francis, who renounced her privileged background and founded the order of

Poor Clares The Poor Clares, officially the Order of Saint Clare ( la, Ordo sanctae Clarae) – originally referred to as the Order of Poor Ladies, and later the Clarisses, the Minoresses, the Franciscan Clarist Order, and the Second Order of Saint Francis ...

. ''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 (born 1996), Swedish footballer *

Clara Amfo Clara Amfo (born 22 May 1984) is a British radio broadcaster, television presenter, podcast host and voice-over artist. She is known for presenting her shows on BBC Radio 1. Early life and education Amfo was born in Kingston upon Thames in Lo ...

(born 1984), British broadcaster and presenter * Clara Arthur (1858–1929), American suffragist * Clara Ayres (1880–1917), American nurse during the First World War * Clara Barton (1821–1912), pioneer American teacher, nurse and humanitarian * Clara Doty Bates (1838–1895), American author *

Clara Nettie Bates Clara Nettie Bates (December 25, 1876 – November 27, 1966) was an American editor, writer, and clubwoman. She was associated with the Audubon movement in Michigan and Florida, and with the International Sunshine Society. She favored suffrage. ...

(1876-1966), American editor, writer, clubwoman * Clara Bancroft Beatley (1858-1923), American educator, lecturer, author * Clara Beyers (1880–1950), American actress * Clara Bindi (born 1927), Italian actress *

Clara Blandick Clara Blandick (born Clara Blanchard Dickey; June 4, 1876 – April 15, 1962) was an American character, film, stage and theater actress. She played Aunt Em in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's '' The Wizard of Oz'' (1939). As a character actress, sh ...

(1876–1962), American actress * Clara Bonde (1806–1899), Swedish courtier and royal favourite *

Clara Bow Clara Gordon Bow (; July 29, 1905 – September 27, 1965) was an American actress who rose to stardom during the silent film era of the 1920s and successfully made the transition to "talkies" in 1929. Her appearance as a plucky shopgirl in the ...

(1905–1965), American actress * Clara Louise Burnham (1854–1927), American novelist *

Clara Butt Dame Clara Ellen Butt, (1 February 1872 – 23 January 1936) was an English contralto and one of the most popular singers from the 1890s through to the 1920s. She had an exceptionally fine contralto voice and an agile singing technique, and imp ...

(1872–1936), English contralto * Clara Germana Cele, South African woman stated in 1906 to have suffered demonic possession *

Clara Marguerite Christian Clara Marguerite Christian (May 1895 – September 1964), born in Dominica, was the first black woman to study at the University of Edinburgh and went on to be a "highly respected" mother of six. Her university experience speaks to the "double jeo ...

(1895–1964), first black woman to study at the University of Edinburgh *

Clara Chung Clara Chung (born October 31, 1987), known by her stage name CLARA (previously Clara C), is an American singer-songwriter, producer and composer. She is a music artist who rose to fame on Youtube when she won numerous talent competitions in a ...

(born 1987), Korean-American singer/guitarist also known by her stage name, Clara C *

Clara Rankin Coblentz Clara Rankin Coblentz (, Rankin; August 19, 1863 – March 6, 1933) was an American temperance reformer and clubwoman. Coblentz held leadership positions in a number of organizations including president of the Non-Partisan National Women's Christi ...

(1863-1933), American social reformer * Clara Eliot (1896–1976), economist *

Clara Shortridge Foltz Clara Shortridge Foltz (July 16, 1849 – September 2, 1934) was an American lawyer, the first female lawyer on the West Coast, and the pioneer of the idea of the public defender. The Criminal Courts Building in downtown Los Angeles was renamed ...

(1849-1934), first female attorney on the Pacific Coast, suffrage leader, founder of the public defender movement *

Clara Grima Clara Isabel Grima Ruiz (born 1971) is a professor of applied mathematics at the University of Seville, specializing in computational geometry. She is known for her research on scutoids (polyhedron-like shapes that can pack the space between pairs ...

(born 1971), Spanish mathematician *

Clara Haskil Clara Haskil (7 January 1895 – 7 December 1960) was a Romanian classical pianist, renowned as an interpreter of the classical and early romantic repertoire. She was particularly noted for her performances and recordings of Mozart. She was als ...

(1895–1960), Romanian classical pianist, renowned as an interpreter of the classical and early romantic repertoire *

Clara H. Hazelrigg Clara H. Hazelrigg (, Espy; pen name, C. H. H.; November 23, 1859 – 1937) was an American author, educator and reformer. She began teaching school at a young age, and after marriage and removing to Kansas, she taught school and served as princip ...

(1861–1937), American author, educator and social reformer * Clara Horton (1904–1976), American actress *

Clara Hughes Clara Hughes, (born September 27, 1972) is a Canadian cyclist and speed skater who has won multiple Olympic medals in both sports. Hughes won two bronze in the 1996 Summer Olympics and four medals (one gold, one silver, two bronze) over the co ...

(born 1972), Canadian athlete who has won medals in both the summer and winter Olympics * Clara Immerwahr (1870–1915), German chemist, first wife of

Fritz Haber Fritz Haber (; 9 December 186829 January 1934) was a German chemist who received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1918 for his invention of the Haber–Bosch process, a method used in industry to synthesize ammonia from nitrogen gas and hydroge ...

* Clara Landsberg (1873–1966), American educator *

Clara Lee Clara Lee (; born Lee Sung-min () on 14 January 1985), better known by her mononym Clara, is a Swiss-born British actress and model based in South Korea. Career Clara (born Lee Sung-Min，李成敏) made her entertainment debut under her birt ...

(born 1985; real name Lee Sung-min), South Korean actress *

Clara Lemlich Clara Lemlich Shavelson (March 28, 1886 – July 12, 1982) was a leader of the Uprising of 20,000, the massive strike of shirtwaist workers in New York's garment industry in 1909, where she spoke in Yiddish and called for action. Later bl ...

(1886–1982), union organizer, consumer activist, member of the

Communist Party A communist party is a political party that seeks to realize the socio-economic goals of communism. The term ''communist party'' was popularized by the title of ''The Manifesto of the Communist Party'' (1848) by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. ...

Clara Luper Clara Shepard Luper (born Clara Mae Shepard May 3, 1923 – June 8, 2011) was a civic leader, schoolteacher, and pioneering leader in the American Civil Rights Movement. She is best known for her leadership role in the 1958 Oklahoma City si ...

(1923–2011), American civil rights leader *

Clara Maniu Clara Maniu (born Clara Coroianu; 10 January 1842 – 29 July 1929) was a Romanian feminist and suffragist. She was the president of the Romanian women's movement organisation ''Reuniunea Femeilor Române Sălăjene (R.F.R.S)'' from 1881 to 1897. ...

(1842–1929), Romanian feminist *

Clara Morgane Clara Morgane (; born Emmanuelle Munos, 25 January 1981) is a French singer, media personality, television host and former pornographic actress. Biography Clara Morgane first became notable as a porn star : she started making movies with her b ...

(born 1981), French porn star and singer *

Clara Mulholland Clara Mulholland (1849–1934) was a writer who was born in Belfast but moved to England at an early age. In addition to being a prolific novelist since the 1880s, she wrote children's literature, plays, and was a translator from French into Engli ...

(1849–1934), Irish writer * Clara Ng (born 1973), Indonesian writer * Klara Izabella Pacowa (1631–1685), politically active Polish court official * Clara Paget (born 1988), British model and actress *

Clara Petacci Clara Petacci, known as Claretta Petacci (; 28 February 1912 – 28 April 1945), was a mistress of the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. She was killed during Mussolini's execution by Italian partisans. Early life Daughter of Giuseppina Persic ...

(1912–1945), mistress of Benito Mussolini *

Clara Rockmore Clara Reisenberg Rockmore (9 March 1911 – 10 May 1998) was a Lithuanian classical violin prodigy and a virtuoso performer of the theremin, an electronic musical instrument. She was the sister of pianist Nadia Reisenberg. Life and career Ea ...

(1911–1998), Lithuanian virtuosa of the

theremin The theremin (; originally known as the ætherphone/etherphone, thereminophone or termenvox/thereminvox) is an electronic musical instrument controlled without physical contact by the performer (who is known as a thereminist). It is named afte ...

Clara Schønfeld Clara Schønfeld (born Clara Julie Christensen; 26 August 1856 – 5 May 1938) was a Danish stage and film actress whose career spanned from the late 19th century through the 1920s. Career Born Clara Julie Christensen in Roskilde, Zealand, she w ...

(1856–1938), Danish actress *

Clara Schumann Clara Josephine Schumann (; née Wieck; 13 September 1819 – 20 May 1896) was a German pianist, composer, and piano teacher. Regarded as one of the most distinguished pianists of the Romantic era, she exerted her influence over the course of a ...

(1819–1896), German pianist, composer *

Clara Sosa María Clara Sosa Perdomo (born 25 September 1993) is a Paraguayan model, TV Host and beauty queen who was crowned Miss Grand Paraguay 2018 and was later crowned Miss Grand International 2018 in Yangon, Myanmar. She is the first Paraguayan woman ...

(born 1993), Paraguayan model, television personality and beauty queen * Clara Harrison Stranahan (1831–1905), American author, college founder *

Clara Tott Clara Tott, in other sources Clara Dett, Clara of Dettingen, Tettingen, or Clare Dettin ( – 1520), was a court singer associated with the Elector Palatine Frederick I, whom she is said to have secretly married. Life Clara Tott was the ...

(1440–1520), German singer * Clara Augusta Jones Trask (1839–1805), American writer *

Clara Ursin Clara Ursin (6 May 1827 – 6 August 1989), was a Norwegian-Danish stage actress and opera singer. Biography In 1828, she was admitted to the music conservatory in Copenhagen. She debuted in 1947 at the Royal Danish Theatre in Copenhagen. She was ...

(1828–1890), Norwegian (originally Danish) stage actress and opera singer *

Clara Belle Williams Clara Belle Williams (October 29, 1885 – July 3, 1993) was the first African-American graduate of New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts (now New Mexico State University), became an educator, and raised three sons who became doctors ...

(1885–1994), first African-American graduate of

New Mexico State University New Mexico State University (NMSU or NM State) is a public land-grant research university based primarily in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest public institution of higher education in New Mexico and one of the state's ...

Clara Kimball Young Clara Kimball Young (born Edith Matilda Clara Kimball; September 6, 1890 – October 15, 1960) was an American film actress who was popular in the early silent film era. Early life Edith Matilda Clara Kimball was born in Chicago on Septembe ...

(1890–1960), American actress *

Clara Zetkin Clara Zetkin (; ; ''née'' Eißner ; 5 July 1857 – 20 June 1933) was a German Marxist theorist, communist activist, and advocate for women's rights. Until 1917, she was active in the Social Democratic Party of Germany. She then joined the ...

(1857–1933), German Marxist theorist and women's rights activist

Surname

* Aemilia Clara, Roman woman who lived in the 2nd century *

Didia Clara Didia Clara was a daughter and the only recorded child to the Roman Emperor Didius Julianus and Empress Manlia Scantilla. She was born and raised in Rome. Little is known about her personality or life. After Didius Julianus purchased the throne ...

(born about 153), only child of the Roman Emperor Didius Julianus and Empress Manlia Scantilla

Animals with this name

* Clara the Rhinoceros, female

Indian rhinoceros } The Indian rhinoceros (''Rhinoceros unicornis''), also called the Indian rhino, greater one-horned rhinoceros or great Indian rhinoceros, is a rhinoceros species native to the Indian subcontinent. It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red Li ...

who became famous during 17 years of touring Europe in the mid-18th century *Clara the Cow, live mascot in Greek

Mega Channel MEGA Channel, also known as MEGA TV or just MEGA, is a television network in Greece, that broadcasts a mix of foreign and Greek programming. It is the first and the oldest private television network in Greece. History Mega Channel (1989–2018) ...

's entertainment programme '' Poly tin Kyriaki'' (Too Much on Sunday)

Fictional characters

* Clara, the protagonist in Tchaikovsky's classic ballet ''

The Nutcracker ''The Nutcracker'' ( rus, Щелкунчик, Shchelkunchik, links=no ) is an 1892 two-act ballet (""; russian: балет-феерия, link=no, ), originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchai ...

'' * Clara in Bob Dylan's 1975 surrealist film ''

Renaldo and Clara ''Renaldo and Clara'' is a 1978 American film directed by Bob Dylan and starring Bob Dylan, Sara Dylan and Joan Baez. Written by Dylan and Sam Shepard, the film incorporates three distinct film genres: concert footage, documentary interviews, and ...

'' * Clara in E. T. A. Hoffmann's short story " The Sandman" * Aunt Clara, minor character in the 1960s television series '' Bewitched'' * Princess Clara, character in the American animated television series ''

Drawn Together ''Drawn Together'' is an American adult animated sitcom created by Dave Jeser and Matt Silverstein and premiered on Comedy Central on October 27, 2004. The series is a parody of '' The Surreal Life'' and follows the misadventures of the housemat ...

'' * 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 ''Snoopy, Come Home!'' is a 1972 American animated musical comedy-drama film directed by Bill Melendez and written by Charles M. Schulz based on the ''Peanuts'' comic strip. The film marks the on-screen debut of Woodstock, who had first appear ...

'' * Clara Belle in the video game ''

MySims ''MySims'' is a video game developed by EA Redwood Shores and published by Electronic Arts as a spin-off to Maxis' ''The Sims'' franchise for the Wii and Nintendo DS in September 2007, re-released for Microsoft Windows in 2008. Overview ...

'' * Clara Brereton, impoverished niece of Lady Denham in Jane Austen’s unfinished novel ''

Sanditon ''Sanditon'' (1817) is an unfinished novel by the English writer Jane Austen. In January 1817, Austen began work on a new novel she called ''The Brothers'', later titled ''Sanditon'', and completed eleven chapters before stopping work in mid- ...

'' (1817) *

Clara Clayton The ''Back to the Future'' film trilogy and subsequent animated series feature characters created by Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale. The lead character of the series is Marty McFly. During the course of the trilogy, he travels through time usi ...

, wife of Doc Brown in the ''

Back to the Future ''Back to the Future'' is a 1985 American science fiction film directed by Robert Zemeckis, and written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale. It stars Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover, and Thomas F. Wilson. Set in 1985, ...

'' film series *

Clara Cluck The Mickey Mouse universe is a fictional universe, fictional shared universe which is the setting for stories involving The Walt Disney Company, Disney cartoon characters Mickey Mouse, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Pluto (Disney), Pluto, Goofy, and ...

, recurring character in Disney's Mickey Mouse cartoons * Clara de Clare, rich woman who becomes a nun in Walter Scott's '' Marmion'' *

María Clara María Clara, whose full name is María Clara de los Santos y Alba, is the ''mestiza'' heroine in '' Noli Me Tángere'', a novel by José Rizal, the national hero of the Philippines. Her name and character have since become a byword in Filipi ...

de los Santos, heroine of the novel '' Noli Me Tángere'' * Clara Durrant in

Virginia Woolf Adeline Virginia Woolf (; ; 25 January 1882 28 March 1941) was an English writer, considered one of the most important modernist 20th-century authors and a pioneer in the use of stream of consciousness as a narrative device. Woolf was born i ...

's novel '' Jacob's Room'' *

Clara Oswald Clara Oswald is a fictional character in the British science fiction on television, science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. She was created by series producer Steven Moffat and portrayed by Jenna Coleman. Clara was introduced in the Doc ...

, companion of the

Eleventh In music or music theory, an eleventh is the note eleven scale degrees from the root of a chord and also the interval between the root and the eleventh. The interval can be also described as a compound fourth, spanning an octave plus a ...

and

Twelfth Doctor The Twelfth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who''. He is portrayed by Scottish actor Peter Capaldi in three series as well as four specials. As with previous incar ...

in the British sci-fi television series '' Doctor Who'' * Clara Sesemann, the invalid friend in Johanna Spyri's ''

Heidi ''Heidi'' (; ) is a work of children's fiction published in 1881 by Swiss author Johanna Spyri, originally published in two parts as ''Heidi: Her Years of Wandering and Learning'' (german: Heidis Lehr- und Wanderjahre) and ''Heidi: How She Use ...

'' * Clara del Valle Trueba, the clairvoyant key female figure of

Isabel Allende Isabel Angélica Allende Llona (; born in Lima, 2 August 1942) is a Chilean writer. Allende, whose works sometimes contain aspects of the genre magical realism, is known for novels such as ''The House of the Spirits'' (''La casa de los espír ...

's first novel, ''

The House of the Spirits ''The House of the Spirits'' ( es, La casa de los espíritus, 1982) is the debut novel of Isabel Allende. The novel was rejected by several Spanish-language publishers before being published in Buenos Aires in 1982. It became an instant best-se ...

References