NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Clarisse

A feminine name derived from the French claire meaning "bright, clear".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2021. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Clarisse is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Clarisse popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2021 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5581, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2003, with 10 births.

This profile covers 90 England and Wales registrations across 19 recorded years from 1996 to 2021. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 30% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 93 living people in the UK are called Clarisse. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2022 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Clarisse ranked #5581 for girls in England and Wales in 2021, with 3 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2003, when 10 girls were registered as Clarisse.
  • Clarisse ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #557 in 1997.
  • About 93 living people in the UK are estimated to have Clarisse as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#5581

2021

Births in 2021

3

Latest year

Peak year

2003

10 births

Estimated living

93

2026

Meaning

What does Clarisse mean?

The name Clarisse has its origins in the Latin language and culture, dating back to ancient Roman times. It is derived from the Latin word "clarus," meaning "bright" or "clear." This root word also gave rise to other names such as Clarice and Clara.

In the Middle Ages, the name Clarisse gained popularity among French and English nobility. It was often associated with qualities such as purity, radiance, and clarity of mind. The name appeared in medieval literature and religious texts, although specific references are scarce.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Clarisse was Clarisse of Vergy, a French noblewoman who lived in the 13th century. Her tragic love story inspired several literary works, including a popular medieval French romance.

Another notable figure was Clarisse Harlove, the protagonist of Samuel Richardson's 18th-century epistolary novel "Clarissa, or, The History of a Young Lady." This work is considered one of the earliest and most influential novels in the English language.

In the 19th century, Clarisse Harlowe Barton, an American pioneer and nurse, gained recognition for her efforts in establishing the American Red Cross. She was born in 1821 and passed away in 1912.

Clarisse Lefevre, a French actress and dancer, was a prominent figure in the Parisian theatre scene during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. She was born in 1863 and died in 1941.

In the world of literature, Clarisse Francillon was a Swiss author and feminist activist who lived from 1846 to 1910. She wrote extensively on women's rights and social issues of her time.

Clarisse Agbegnenou, a French judoka, is a contemporary figure who has won multiple Olympic and World Championship medals in judo. She was born in 1992 and continues to compete at the highest levels of her sport.

These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have borne the name Clarisse, each leaving their mark in various fields and eras.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Clarisse over time

The chart below shows babies named Clarisse registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2021. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Clarisse, the clearest high point is 2003. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2021, compared with 10 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Clarisse
035810199620082021

Decades

Clarisse by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Clarisse was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #5581 3 1
2010s #5112 18 5
2000s #3381 48 9
1990s #2815 21 4

Geography

Where Clarisse is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Clarisse. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Clarisse ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #557 in 1997.

Scotland
4

Across the UK

Clarisse in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#557 in 1997

1 years of NRS records, 4 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Clarisse

  • Clarisse Yeung

    politician

    Hong Kong politician

    1986-

Related

Names similar to Clarisse

FAQ

Clarisse: questions and answers

How popular is the name Clarisse in the UK right now?

In 2021, Clarisse was ranked #5581 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.

When was Clarisse most popular?

The peak year on record was 2003, with 10 babies registered as Clarisse in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Clarisse?

A feminine name derived from the French claire meaning "bright, clear".

How many people are called Clarisse in the UK?

A total of 90 babies have been registered as Clarisse across the 19 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 4 more in Scotland.

Where is Clarisse most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Clarisse ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #557 in 1997. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.