Clare

Clare is an English form of the Latin name Clara, derived from the adjective clarus, meaning bright or clear. The name gained wide use in medieval Europe largely through the influence of Saint Clare of Assisi, the thirteenth-century founder of the Order of Poor Ladies, a Franciscan religious order. Clare was the predominant English spelling during the Middle Ages, while Clara became more fashionable in later centuries. Related forms include Claire, the French variant, as well as the masculine Clarence and the Latinized Clarice.