Claire

[Sophronia]

I never hear this on babies/children anymore. Is it too dated?

I think Claire's a little earlier than that, actually/ Maybe 60's

But yes, it wasn't the most commonplace in my neck of the woods

Joanne was the most common name when I was at Primary in the '70s

It was still big in Ireland in the 80s. I was born in 1987 and there were loads of clares/Claires in my school. Other popular names were Sarah, Jennifer, Catherine, Rebecca and Rachel.

I think they're all lovely names and would be unusual now. Better than an "unusual" name like Edie or Iris that is actually pretty popular.

Torn between the polar opposite associations of Clair de Lune and Breakfast Club film 'CLAIRE?!!'

I quite like it actually. It's safe but looks pretty written down.

I always wondered what exactly they meant by that in The Breakfast Club - Claire being a perfectly normal, and quite common name, especially in the 80s. What were they getting at? Or was it unheard of in the US? (Hard to believe)

Nice to see so many positive comments about my name

I know an 18 month old Claire.

However I'm a 70s baby and I was never the only Claire at school and in most of my jobs! It gets tiresome. My own kids have names outside the top 100 as I didn't want them to suffer the same.

Popular names tend to be those which go well with most surnames.

I say go for it!

Pemba

I always wondered that too. I think we used to be further apart in terms of tastes during the 80s. I was boooooorn in the USA and my parents thought they'd chosen a really unusual name for me. Moved to the uk and realised it was top 5 or something in popularity. I was never the only one in a class. Unlike pps though, that never bothered me.

I also have an Emma and though it's quite a well known name, I don't think there are that many babies and toddlers around in the uk. We meet the odd one, but it's not like Isabella/ Amelia / Florence/ Olivia / Isla etc. Every time I introduce an American to Emma you can see they think "oh not another one" as it's been so popular over there (number1 I think) for so long. It's only number 60 something here .

I have a Claire. She's the only one in her school, but I believe there's another one in our town of similar age.

It might regain popularity now due to outlander...I quite like it...

I know a few Claire's and they all suit their name but I don't actually like them name!

To me it sounds more like a sound you'd make when you don't like something rather than a name. Cleeeehhhhhhh.

I also feel the same about Blair. Bleehhhh.

It just sounds like an unsatisfied noise!

theluckdragon not if you pronounce your "r"s it doesn't.

Claire/Clare is definitely making a comeback in Canada and the USA. Know quite a few little girls by that name. Interesting to see it’s so different here!

It sounds bad in a Cilla Black voice. CLURR.

Too fated

What was said about it in the Breakfast Club?

I’m a Clare so I think it’s due a comeback!

I had three Claire’s in my year at school but I was the only Clare, which I liked!

No it's awful. My cousin is a Claire and HATES it. She always says she thinks the 'Cl' sound is like the start of someone about to cough up a hairball.

Their bland and inoffensive. If you like em go for it

It’s ok, pretty and inoffensive. Very dated though. All the Claire’s I know are aged 35-40.

Yes, it's too dated.

I don't think Emma and Sarah ever went away. Very popular.
Claire is such a pretty name. And so feminine

The only Claire I know is almost 90 years old. Mind you, the only Sarah I know is a toddler...

I think naming trends where I live seem to be seriously out of sync with the rest of the UK

I think Claire is particularly plain.

If you like 'boring' names what about Anne? Annie is sweet.
Kate?

Re. the American thing. I have a couple of American cousins who have babies called Claire. They're fashion conscious types (although not hipsters) so it's funny to see the name being thought of in that context.

Re. Emma. I think that name was pretty rare in America until Rachel on Friends called her baby Emma, and then it exploded. Whereas here Emma is a kind of evergreen name.

Very dated though. All the Claire’s I know are aged 35-40.

How rude!!

Yes I think you're right contessa; Emma has always been fairly popular here but never number 1 or anything. The highest it's ever been recently was number 14 in 1996, 4234 babies called Emma that year, (according to darkgreener ONS thingy). But it's never been outside the top 100 either.