Meaning and background
The story behind Clair
Clair is a French personal-name form connected with Latin Clarus, and English usage can be masculine or feminine. It is also sometimes regarded as a spelling relative of Claire. The underlying Latin name family is associated with clarity and brightness, though that does not describe any dog’s disposition. The simple one-syllable form gives it an unobtrusive, familiar call sound.
- Origin
- French form of Latin Clarus; also used in English Source
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Everyday moments“Clair, come here!”
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About Clair
Recorded as a dog’s name
Clair appears in 5 dog licence records in the 2022 New York City dataset.
How to read this count
These records cover New York City and may count the same dog in more than one licence period. They are not a national popularity ranking.
Pronunciation and rhythm
/klɛɹ/
US English sound sequence, converted from the CMU dictionary. Stress marks are shown separately.
Stress on the first syllable in the recorded US readings.
View dictionary notation
/klɛɹ/ · primary stress on syllable 1K L EH1 R
These are US dictionary readings. Personal, regional and other language pronunciations may differ.
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Sources and research notes (2)
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene NYC Dog Licensing Dataset — all seven available extract years, retrieved 24 October 2026 — Recorded name spellings in NYC licence-period rows, extract years 2016–2018, 2022–2024 and 2026. Evidence selects one stated year per name. Annual snapshots overlap; never sum them as unique dogs. No national popularity, etymology or owner naming-intent claim.
- Carnegie Mellon University / CMU Sphinx maintainers CMU US English Pronouncing Dictionary — US English dictionary readings; not owner-specific or exhaustive multilingual pronunciation
References support the individual facts shown. A source link does not mean the entire profile has been verified.