Claire?

[SantanaLopez]

DH really likes it, I'm not sure. We already have Frances and like Miriam, Dominic, Joseph and maybe Beatrice (expecting twins, don't know the sex).

[KateMoose]

I don't like it personally.

[FamiliesShareGerms]

It's fine, just a bit meh

[MyBaby1day]

Sorry but I agree with Holidayfun, I find the name Claire horrendous, it's died out Thank God. Hope you find a nice pretty name for your DD though OP. Just been honest.

[murphys]

Sausage I am called Claire Bear all the time.

And yes I am in my early forties.

What does annoy me though, often someone asks me my name when I'm on the phone, and they always think I say Kay. So I get called Kay a lot.....

[florascotia]

Claire (any spelling) not in top 100 names for England and Wales 2012:
www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2013/aug/12/top-100-baby-names-2012-girls-boys-list

For comparison, England and Wales baby name stats for 2013 scheduled to be published by government ONS tomorrow.

[mathanxiety]

That report was based on the number of views of various names on one particular baby name site, nameberry.com, not on a list of registered names.

[Cwtchbach]

I saw an article the other day about top 10 baby names so far this year and Claire was number 10. I assumed it was an American list as I only know of one little Claire under 3 years old

[augustusglupe]

It's nice, but tbh my first thought was Gilbert O Sullivan [ confused ] but I am vair old

[NadiaWadia]

Whoops wrong link, hopefully this is the US one:

www.babycenter.com/top-baby-names-2013

[NadiaWadia]

Oh right (about US). I think definitely Claire is more popular in the USA than in the UK though? It came in at no. 57 in the top 100 baby girls' names for the USA in 2013 according to this :
www.babycentre.co.uk/a25008173/top-baby-girl-names-2013 . (Most popular was Sophia).

Whereas it came nowhere on the equivalent list for the UK.

[Clarabum]

I'm a Clare and it's very 80's there were around 15 of them in my year at school. I've never met one under 20 now though. I've never met a "chavvy" Clare though. I far prefer Clara.

[SconeRhymesWithGone]

Not trendy anywhere near me in the States either. But I think it's a lovely name.

[Shodan]

sausageandorangepickle - I thought I was the only one to be called that. Never heard anyone other than my mother say it.

I've rarely had it misspelled either- most people ask how to spell it.

[sausageandorangepickle]

I have 2 friends called Claire - in completely different sets of friends, and both get called 'Chocolatey' a lot. (chocolate eclair). I do think Claire is a nice name, but they both get heartily sick of the joke.

[clippityclop]

Lovely. Classic.

[mathanxiety]

Not trendy in America right now anywhere near me

I have a cat helping with the backspace button...

(I think it's about mid point in the top 100)

[mum9876]

I'm mid forties and so many of dh's friends wives are called Clare that I am often called Clare too - even though it's not my name.

But there are no Clares now - it would be unusual now. I quite like Clara though - sort of a modern twist on it.

[mathanxiety]

Not trendy in America right now. It had a little bit of a moment in the early 90s but that has well and truly passed. It was eclipsed by the Olivia juggernaut like pretty much every single other name, and then Ella came on the scene.

[squoosh]

I've just done a quick count and I have three cousins called Claire, all 1970's girls. Couple of them may be Clares though.

[HibiscusIsland]

Popular I mean. I still like the name Caroline though

[HibiscusIsland]

In my high school (left sixth form in 89) Clare wasn't particularly common. There were one or two, but it was Caroline that was hugely common. One class in my year had five of them!

[VeraGrant]

I think it's a gorgeous sounding name, love the fact that it's a French word (not the Clare spelling), and the fact that it can't be shortened!

Can't believe someone said it was chavvy, it's never ever been that

[Greenstone]

It's great. We considered it for DD1. Would be very unusual today and therefore is a really strong graceful choice IMO :)

[TheCowThatLaughs]

"Clure" pronunciation is from the Oldham area afaik, so quite a small and specific area of the NW.