Clara
KLAH-rah
Clara means “clear” or “bright,” with a long history as a saintly, classic European name.
Meaning
Clara is the feminine form of Latin clarus, meaning “clear,” “bright,” or “famous.” The excerpts also connect it with St. Clare and the Poor Clares, and note that Clara is a modern form of Clare. In practice, the name carries both the literal sense of brightness and the devotional association of the saint.
Origin
Latinfeminine
Fun fact
The form Clara spread especially through Italy, where the related Chiara became widely used as the saint’s name.
Confidence: mixed. Sources: Praenomina; or, the etymology of the principal Christian names of Great Britain and Ireland, History of Christian Names.