| Chiara | Giovanna | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Bright, clear | God is gracious |
| Origin | italian | italian |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | KYAH-rah | joh-VAH-nah |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1951 | 0 |
| Peak year | 2025 (228) | 2005 (408) |
| In 2025 | 228 | 0 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Steady |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Chiara | Giovanna |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 1,203 | 1,859 |
| 2010s | 1,359 | 3,287 |
| 2000s | 1,721 | 3,719 |
| 1990s | 838 | 2,226 |
| 1980s | 427 | 1,037 |
| 1970s | 284 | 749 |
| 1960s | 81 | 460 |
| 1950s | 14 | 220 |
| 1940s | 0 | 108 |
| 1930s | 0 | 120 |
| 1920s | 0 | 163 |
| 1910s | 0 | 172 |
| 1900s | 0 | 15 |
Italian form of Clara, from Latin 'clarus' meaning 'clear, bright, famous'. Popularized by the medieval Saint Clare of Assisi (Chiara d'Assisi).
The Italian feminine of Giovanni (John), ultimately from Hebrew 'Yochanan' meaning 'God is gracious.' Shares the John root rather than the Hannah root.
Chiara is more popular than Giovanna today: about 228 US babies were given the name Chiara in 2025, compared with 0 named Giovanna.
Chiara means Bright, clear (italian origin), while Giovanna means God is gracious (italian origin).
In US records, Chiara first appears in 1951 and Giovanna in 0, so Giovanna has the longer recorded history.