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Claretta
How to Pronounce Claretta
Pronounced kluh-RET-uh /kləˈrɛt.ə/Medium
Meaning: Claretta is a diminutive elaboration of Clara, from Latin 'clarus', 'bright, clear, famous', with the Italian-flavored -etta ending. It appears in American records through the early and middle twentieth century as an ornate feminine.Medium
Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.
SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.
History & Origin
Claretta builds on Clara, from Latin clarus, 'bright, clear, famous', adding the Italian diminutive -etta to mean something like 'little Clara'. It reads as a delicate, romantic elaboration.
It was always uncommon - only a few dozen girls a year at its high point around 1943 - and it had faded by the early nineteen-eighties. It reads as a graceful vintage feminine.
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Claretta mean?
Claretta is an Italian-style diminutive of Clara, from Latin for 'bright, clear'.
How do you pronounce Claretta?
It's said kluh-RET-uh /kləˈrɛt.ə/ - three syllables, stress on the second.
Is Claretta a boy or girl name?
Claretta is used as a girl's name.
How popular is Claretta?
Claretta has always been rare, a graceful diminutive of Clara from the mid-twentieth century.