Claudia

Meaning of Claudia

Claudia traces its lineage to ancient Rome, the feminine form of the patrician surname Claudius and ultimately linked to the Latin claudus, often rendered as “lame,” though some classicists prefer the less pedestrian “enclosure.” Pronounced KLAW-dee-uh in English, KLOU-dee-a in German, and KLOW-dyah in Spanish and Italian, the name has slipped through centuries with surprisingly little wear, passing from imperial tablets to early Christian letters and on to modern marquee lights. In the United States it climbed briskly during the baby-boom years, peaking just outside the Top 100 in the mid-1950s; today it hovers comfortably in the 700s, attracting about 200 new bearers annually—enough for recognition, not saturation. Cultural references span Goethe’s poetry, family sitcoms, and the catwalks of Claudia Cardinale and Claudia Schiffer, giving the name a cosmopolitan patina without tipping into grandiosity. Measured, historical, and quietly self-assured, Claudia offers parents a classical choice that feels both grounded and refreshingly underused.