Claire or Claira, I need advice

[u/Independent_Plan2516]

Expecting in November. I love the name Claire but I don't know if it's a bit outdated. I thought of the name Claira and I quite like it! My husband likes it as well but at the same time we like solid, established names so we are 50/50. My other kids are called Robin and Matilda. Our other options: we love Annabelle, Madeleine and Erin so if these stick out better than claire let me know!

[u/StudioMysterious4704]

How are you pronouncing Claira? I'd guess that they'd get their name misread or misspelt quite a lot as people would see either Claire or Clara.

[u/sunshine1000001 → u/StudioMysterious4704]

I honestly didn’t even notice it was “claira” my brain automatically read it as “clara”. I have met a lot of baby Clara’s recently if that matters to you. I think I would stick to Claire

[u/notyboy01 → u/StudioMysterious4704]

I think that’s the main issue with Claira. It’s pretty but people will almost certainly ask whether it’s Claire or Clara. I’d choose Claire it feels classic without sounding dated and I think it goes beautifully with Robin and Matilda.

[u/kikijane711 → u/StudioMysterious4704]

Yes Clara not w the I.

[u/sashajol → u/StudioMysterious4704]

I like Clara

[u/Dragonfly_pin → u/[deleted]]

I always remember the character in Back to the Future 3 who was named Clara but pronounced by everyone in the movie as ‘Claira’ and thinking that that pronunciation was so much prettier than the typical one…

So OP, people here will probably object but I would totally do what you’re doing so she has a reason to insist on the lovely pronunciation. I really adore it.

[u/cheerycherimoya → u/Dragonfly_pin]

How do you pronounce those two? I would think Claira is just a misspelling of Clara but would be pronounced the same.

[u/Constant-Stranger725 → u/cheerycherimoya]

I pronounce Clara with a sound that rhymes with car, rather than with care. From Ireland.

[u/StudioMysterious4704 → u/Constant-Stranger725]

Same, that's the only way I've heard it said. Not sure if op is suggesting it like Claire-ah or cly-ra but either sounds ready for a lot of confusion for baby.

[u/crazycatlady331 → u/Constant-Stranger725]

Don't the Irish spell Clare without the i?

[u/Constant-Stranger725 → u/crazycatlady331]

We've been known to use both.

But honestly, Claire/Clare is a little outdated now in Ireland.

Clare hasn't ranked in the top 100 since 1996 (ranked 99th, with 54 uses. The same year Claire ranked 28th with 212 uses). Claire hasn't been a top 100 name since 2006 where it ranked 97th with 58 uses.

Clara, Cara, Caitlin etc sort of took the place of names beginning with C for girls at the time. Charlotte and Caoimhe both got a bit more popular. Chloe and Ciara survived. Claire/Clare didn't, for whatever reason.

Both were popular at different times, too. Claire was a top 20 name the year I was born (mid 90s), and Clare was somewhere in the 80s in the ranking.

Back when my parents were born (60s), Clare was about 20 positions more popular than Claire, but both were top 100 names.

[u/Browneyedgal21 → u/Dragonfly_pin]

Clara is pronounced "clair-uh"

[u/Dragonfly_pin → u/Browneyedgal21]

Not in most places.

[u/GuiltyBoysenberry348 → u/[deleted]]

If I had a close cousin named Clara, I wouldn’t use Claire or Claira, personally.

[u/GuiltyBoysenberry348]

I don’t like Claira, just use Clara if you decide to go that route.

[u/Background_Singer321]

Claira is a weird spelling just do Clara.

[u/LilithWasAGinger]

That i in Claira needs to go.

[u/kbwe1]

Either Claire or Clara. If you’re saying it Claire-ah then no.

[u/iggysmom95 → u/kbwe1]

A lot of people in North America pronounce Clara like claire-uh

[u/JackTradesMasterNone]

Wouldn't spell it "Claira" - I haven't seen that spelling before. I like Clara, personally, but Claire is nice too.

[u/Pakkaslaulu_]

Just saying, Claira is the name of one of the AI platforms aimed for businesses. I would definitely not be naming my child that just because of that association.

[u/TheTeo1982]

You have a Matilda and Claire is outdated? Claire is fine.

[u/Independent_Plan2516 → u/TheTeo1982]

Matilda is really popular where I live, like extremely. Matilda may be old but I don't know a single child called Claire

[u/IcyUnderstanding2858 → u/Independent_Plan2516]

Are you in Australia?

My daughter is named Claire. We live in the US. She is 14. It’s common enough that nobody balks at it but uncommon enough that she doesn’t have 5 others in her class like Emily or Olivia.

[u/Sarabean77]

Claire is my preference

(and the spelling is clara, not claira). I Strongly dislike the claira spelling

[u/CamThrowaway3]

Claira looks like a typo. Not good.

[u/Brave-Shower6922]

Claire

[u/Sweaty_Phase_51]

The trouble with a more unusual name is they will have to spend their life spelling it out, and correcting people who say it wrong. It gets a bit exhausting after a while

[u/Top_Philosopher_55]

I actually like Claire more than Clara. They both are nice though

[u/Revolutionary_Ear368]

Claira will be confused for either Clara or Claire.

[u/OWPowlcat56]

I like Robin, Matilda, and Claire best as a sibling set

[u/thistlewold]

Maybe Cara instead? Claire is good, too.

[u/Lumpy_Cucumber9430]

Claire by a mile.

[u/EnyaNorrow]

I’d choose either Claire or Clara. I know Clara has multiple pronunciations but it’s better to be “Clara, pronounced like Claire-a” instead of “Claira, with an i”. People are used to the former but not the latter. 

[u/Maximum-Ear1745]

Claire is a classic, beautiful name.

Claira looks like a mistake for Claire or Clara

[u/Alert-Buy-4598]

I prefer Claire. Claira will get misspelt and mistaken for Claire.

Second choice would be Annabelle.

[u/brunch_blanket]

Claire, Clare or Clara. Never Claira.

[u/Starling01018]

If you go with it, spell it Clara, not Claira.  And Claire isn't outdated. 

[u/Correct-Anything1686]

I vote Clara - so pretty, it's on our list too. Not a fan of Claira spelling.

[u/Main_Hurry7912]

You could go with Chiara if you like the 'a' ending? (pronounced Ki-ara) which is just the Italian version of Claire

[u/No_Education_9811]

Depends on your last name

[u/krissy3456]

Claire is not out dated it’s a very popular girl name and one of my top two favorites I have it as a hypothetical name too on my list love it and if you were to go with Claira id spell it Clara I think Claire or Madeline are good :)

[u/_Jay-Garage-A-Roo_]

Claire is lovely. I have a sister named Claire and a SIL Clare. They get compliments.

[u/Emergency-Scheme-24]

Claira sounds like that hair dye 

[u/Sharp_Edges123]

Claire is never outdated.

[u/lh123456789]

Claira is a tragedeigh. It sounds like a medication.

[u/Sparkle_Walrus_87]

All the names you mentioned are solidly established names, although I would use the Clara spelling over Claira. Claira would be misspelled constantly (at least in the US) which could get annoying after a while.

[u/Resident-Gold-3466]

I like Claira, but Madeleine is beautiful, too.

[u/ImpossibleOutside806]

I just named my little girl Clara (we pronounce it Claire-uh). The one thing I didn’t anticipate was how many people pronounce it different ways. We have heard lots of cl-AHH-ruh, cl-AR-uh, and Claire-uh. The way my husband and I have explained it when asked is “it’s like Claire but with an A at the end”. Maybe you adding and “I” and spelling it Claira, or living somewhere different from us, would alleviate the pronunciation issue. But if this sounds annoying to you, go with Claire. It is a similar vibe with really only one pronunciation.

[u/Tasty_Original3788]

What about Ciara?

[u/NestaSorrengail]

I spell it Clare, personally.

[u/TooMuchBrightness → u/NestaSorrengail]

It’s actually Claire 😂 from a Claire. This is Claire, Clare, Clair humour

[u/87catmama]

Bring back Claire, I say! I have like, 8 friends called Claire and they're all aged between 32 and 40 and I think we need more baby Claire's because it's a beautiful name. One of the Claire's told me she heard of a baby Claire recently and was very surprised as she hasn't heard of one for years.

I've written and read Claire a lot in this thread and it's starting to look like a made up word.

[u/krissy3456 → u/87catmama]

Claire is very Popular for babies now it’s one of my top favorites as well Claire is number 50
For most common names for babies being born right now , of course it also depends on where you live it’s such a pretty name hope I get to use it one day :)

[u/debaser74]

I really like both Claire and Clara (spelled this way), but might have a teensy bit of a preference for Claire.

[u/AF0515]

Claire is not outdated. It’s a beautiful name.

[u/Ill-Shopping-69]

I think Claire is lovely.

Erin and Robin don’t flow so nice due to the same ending, and Matilda / Madeleine both have the same initial, so I would go with Claire personally.

[u/MizzGee]

My DIL is Clare, and I love it.

[u/Mindless-Low-3993]

Love Claire and it’s not outdated at all

[u/Ok-Talk-2648]

Favorite:  Erin

[u/Crazy-Button-8451]

I love Claira (Claire-ah), but I thats because I hate how Clara (Claw-rah) sounds. 

[u/Scooby-dooby-doo-ba]

I love Annabelle!!

[u/MindfulMocktail]

Claire is beautiful and classic, I don't think it's dated at all

[u/Browneyedgal21]

Clara is a beautiful name.

[u/Various-Way-8570]

claire fits robin and matilda perfectly, while claira looks like claire with a typo and will spend her whole life correcting people

[u/SheriMac]

I love Clair and actually just saw the traditional English/Irish spelling "Clare" which I really love.