In the first name statistics published in France, certain female first names seem to have disappeared. In 2024, a first name of Greek origin will be displayed at only 0 or 5 births depending on INSEEwhich is to say almost absent from maternity wards. Long discreet, it nevertheless evokes these ancient first names that we imagine worn in the Middle Ages, far from the lists of crèches where Jade, Emma or Louise dominate.
This almost erased first name is Cleore. Biba magazine describes it as a very rare first name and reports that it was given 0 times in 2024 and 2025. The file of
INSEE confirms that Cléore appears for the first time in the civil registry in 1907 and that he reached his best score in 2016 with 8 births, before falling back into obscurity. This first name of Greek origin means “glory” and “fame”, a striking difference with its current discretion.
Cléore, a first name almost absent from the 2024 archives
To understand this “0” in 2024 and 2025, we must look at how the First name file of theINSEE. The institute explains that this file, supplied by the National identification directory of natural persons (RNIPP)lists births from 1900 to 2024 and that it rounds the numbers to the multiple of 5 for reasons of confidentiality. Concretely, the absence of a Cléore line does not guarantee that no baby bears this first name, but means that there are at most a few isolated births throughout France.
It is this mechanism which explains why some sites display 0 births of Cléore while others count 5, although relying on the same data from INSEE. Sites actually read public rounding differently. For future parents, the message remains clear: Cléore remains a first name that is almost impossible to find in French maternity wards, far from the thousands of annual assignments of first names like Emma or Chloé.
Cleore’s Greek origin and ancient first name charm
Cléore comes from an ancient Greek term linked to the idea of glory and celebrity, associated with a certain form of prestige. This type of sound, close to first names like Cleopatra or Theodore, gives Cleore a timeless, almost medieval side, without us finding this first name in the great lists of saints or queens of the Middle Ages. For many parents, this mix of distant history and total rarity can become a real favorite.
When spoken, Cléore is generally pronounced “gold key”, in three soft syllables that go well with a long last name. Its originality also invites it to be combined with a classic middle name, to reassure grandparents while keeping this unique touch. For a little girl, this gives a name that you rarely hear, but which remains easy to write and wear every day.
Cléore, a fighter’s first name according to the portraits
According to the descriptions collected by Biba, Cléore has a determined temperament, perseverant and voluntary, always on the move. The child with this first name would love challenges and hate being bored, even if it means sometimes having trouble letting go. It is up to parents, then, to also encourage quiet time and the right to rest.