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Clair

Girl name · 598 babies recorded · 1974–2025

Clair: 598 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to girls, peaking at 48 births in 1982.

Originally a French form of Clara, Clair means "clear" or "bright" and shares its root with the Latin *clarus*. Among its famous bearers, the brilliant mathematician and philosopher René Descartes is sometimes linked to the name's clarity of thought, though the best-known Scots bearer is perhaps Clair Grogan, the actress who played Suzy in *Gregory's Girl*. The name also echoes through the Scottish landscape with places like St Clair's well and the Castle of St Clair in Orkney. Notably, Clair is the masculine spelling in French, while Claire is its more common feminine counterpart in English-speaking countries, making it a quietly distinctive choice for any child.

Girl 26 of 52 years

Peak year
198248 babies
Latest (2002)
#6403 babies
Total births
598since 1974
5-year trend
▼ 64%vs prior 5y
1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 1982 · 48
Births per year in Scotland. Missing years had a count of 2 or fewer (suppressed by NRS).