Klara — Name Day, Meaning & Origin

Female Polish given name · rank 17 among female names (2024)

A classic Polish female name from Latin meaning "bright, famous".

Pronunciation

/ˈkla.ra/ · KLAH-rah

Meaning

Klara is the Polish form of the Latin name Clara, meaning "bright, clear, famous". The name evokes clarity, radiance and inner integrity, and its sound is regarded as elegant and timeless.

Origin & history

The name is of Latin origin and spread across Europe thanks to the cult of Saint Clare of Assisi, companion of Saint Francis and founder of the Poor Clares. It reached Poland in the Middle Ages with Christianity and has remained in use for centuries. In recent years it has enjoyed a marked revival.

Etymology

The source is the Latin adjective clarus, meaning "bright, luminous, clear", and figuratively "famous, distinguished". The same root underlies words such as "clarity" and "declaration".

Declension (Polish cases)

Nominative	Klara
Genitive	Klary
Dative	Klarze
Accusative	Klarę
Instrumental	Klarą
Locative	Klarze
Vocative	Klaro

Name day (imieniny)

In Poland, Klara celebrates its name day on 11 August, 12 August, 18 August.

Diminutives

Klarcia, Klarka, Klarusia, Klareczka.

Forms in other languages

Equivalents in other languages include Clara (Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan), Claire (French, English), Chiara (Italian) and Klára (Czech, Hungarian, Slovak).

Notable people named Klara

Święta Klara z Asyżu — Medieval Italian nun, founder of the Poor Clares order.

Clara Schumann — German pianist and composer, one of the most eminent of the 19th century.

Clara Zetkin — German socialist activist and feminist, initiator of International Women's Day.

Popularity

For several years Klara has been among the trendiest names given to girls in Poland, regularly appearing near the top of the rankings.