Claire

See also claire

English

Alternative forms

• Clare, Clair

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɛə(r)

Proper noun

Claire

1. A female given name borrowed from the French form of Clara or Clare. Popular in the UK in the 1970s and the 1980s.
   • 1887 Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch: Dead Man's Rock. BiblioBazaar,LLC,2007. ISBN 1434649393 page 198:

     "I told you I was called ,or that they called me Claire. Were you not surprised when you saw my name as Clarissa Lambert?"

     "Is that all?" I cried. "Why of course, I knew how common it is for actresses to take another name. I was even glad of it; for the name I know, your own name, is now a secret, and all the sweeter so. All the world admires Clarissa Lambert, but I alone love Claire Luttrell, and know that Claire Luttrell loves me."

   • 2006 Wendy Harmer: Farewell My Ovaries. Allen&Unwin 2006. ISBN 1741146658 page 93:

     A woman named Claire should be able to describe the moon. Clair de Lune was of course one of Claire's favourite pieces of piano music.

2. A male given name, a rare spelling variant Clare, derived from the surname.
   • 1991 Amy Tan: The Kitchen God's Wife. Ivy Books 1991. ISBN 080410753X page 203:

     When we arrived in Hangchow, all the pilots were honored at a big banquet given by that famous American general with a lady's name, Claire Chennault.

Translations

• see Clara

Anagrams

• Carlie
• eclair, éclair
• lacier

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French

Proper noun

Claire

1. A female given name, cognate to Clara.

Related terms

• Clara, Clarisse
• Marie-Claire

Anagrams

• éclair