Declining since 1985, #10,917 for girls today.
Popularity of Claribel since 1881
Babies named Claribel per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1984, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Claribel's real moment was 1893.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 51 |
| 1890s | 126 |
| 1900s | 171 |
| 1910s | 367 |
| 1920s | 371 |
| 1930s | 125 |
| 1940s | 0 |
| 1950s | 27 |
| 1960s | 155 |
| 1970s | 269 |
| 1980s | 451 |
| 1990s | 427 |
| 2000s | 192 |
| 2010s | 157 |
| 2020s | 88 |
Meaning & origin
Claribel is a literary invention with roots in Latin, combining the notions of brightness and beauty. The name first entered U.S. records in 1881 and saw its highest usage in 1893, when it ranked among the more popular names. Since 1985, its popularity has been declining, and in 2025 it was given to roughly 1 in 200,908 girls, placing it at rank 10,917. Claribel has not experienced a revival in recent decades and remains a rare choice. The name's top states historically include none, as its usage has always been scattered geographically. Claribel carries a poetic and somewhat old-fashioned charm, appealing to parents drawn to literary or vintage names.
Claribel is a literary coinage combining the Latin clarus meaning 'bright, clear' and the element bel from Latin bella meaning 'beautiful'. It was popularized by Edmund Spenser in his 1590 poem 'The Faerie Queene' and later by Alexander Pope. The name saw its peak usage in the late 19th century in the United States.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Clara, Belle, Clarie, Cia
Variants: Clarabelle, Clarabella
Sibling names for Claribel
Names that share Claribel's style, for a brother or sister.
