Explore the Family Name Clara
The meaning of Clara
1. Spanish, Catalan, Portuguese, and Italian (Piedmont): variant of Claro. 2. West Indian (Dutch Caribbean): from the female personal name Clara (see Clare 2). It is one of the surnames (compare Martina) that reflect the partially mother-oriented name culture of the formerly enslaved people in the West Indies. Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Pedro, Raul, Amado, Benigno, Cornelio, Esteban, Genaro, Hermelinda, Joaquin, Josefa, Juan, Luis. Italian Aldo, Antonio, Domenico, Giovanna, Remo.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Clara in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Clara saw minimal changes between 2000 and 2010. The rank of the surname dipped slightly from 22,870 in 2000 to 23,205 in 2010, showing a decrease of 1.46%. However, the count of people with the surname Clara increased by 5.17%, rising from 1,045 in 2000 to 1,099 in 2010. Despite this increase, the proportion per 100k of the population bearing the surname decreased by 5.13%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #22,870 | #23,205 | -1.46% |
| Count | 1,045 | 1,099 | 5.17% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.39 | 0.37 | -5.13% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Clara
In terms of ethnicity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows that there were notable shifts in the ethnic identities associated with the surname Clara between 2000 and 2010. The Hispanic population with this surname rose significantly from 67.37% to 80.71%, registering a growth of 19.8%. Conversely, the percentage of individuals identifying as White and Black dropped by 39.61% and 51.68% respectively. The Asian/Pacific Islander group also saw a small decrease of 5.22%. There was no change for those identifying with two or more races or as American Indian and Alaskan Native under the Clara surname.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic | 67.37% | 80.71% | 19.8% |
| White | 25.17% | 15.2% | -39.61% |
| Black | 5.65% | 2.73% | -51.68% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.15% | 1.09% | -5.22% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |