| Regina | Clara | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | queen | Bright, clear |
| Origin | latin | Latin |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | ruh-JEE-nuh | KLAIR-uh |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 1962 (5,002) | 1918 (5,778) |
| In 2025 | 786 | 3,601 |
| Trend | Rising | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Regina | Clara |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 4,995 | 17,277 |
| 2010s | 6,250 | 26,657 |
| 2000s | 4,551 | 12,789 |
| 1990s | 6,915 | 6,266 |
| 1980s | 14,578 | 3,668 |
| 1970s | 28,319 | 3,290 |
| 1960s | 45,827 | 6,505 |
| 1950s | 30,797 | 12,768 |
| 1940s | 12,713 | 20,028 |
| 1930s | 7,045 | 31,658 |
| 1920s | 10,676 | 48,183 |
| 1910s | 7,389 | 44,346 |
| 1900s | 2,243 | 23,899 |
| 1890s | 1,353 | 25,473 |
| 1880s | 621 | 17,717 |
From the Latin 'regina', meaning 'queen' (feminine of 'rex'). Long used as a title of the Virgin Mary (Regina Caeli, 'Queen of Heaven'). A literal, well-established 'queen' name.
From the Latin clarus, “bright” or “clear.” Saint Clare of Assisi carried the name.
Clara is more popular than Regina today: about 3,601 US babies were given the name Clara in 2025, compared with 786 named Regina.
Regina means queen (latin origin), while Clara means Bright, clear (Latin origin).
In US records, Regina first appears in 1880 and Clara in 1880, so Regina has the longer recorded history.