Clara means clear in latin. If you look up the meaning of Clear in the dictionary, you might get someonthing like:
1. Free from clouds, mist, or haze: a clear day.
2. Not obscured or darkened; bright: clear daylight; a clear yellow.
3. Easily seen through; transparent: clear water.
4. Free from flaw, blemish, or impurity: a clear, perfect diamond; a clear record with the police.
5. Free from impediment, obstruction, or hindrance; open: a clear view; a clear path to victory.
6. Plain or evident to the mind; unmistakable: a clear case of cheating.
7. Easily perceptible to the eye or ear; distinct.
8. Discerning or perceiving easily; keen: a clear mind.
9. Free from doubt or confusion; certain.
10. Free from qualification or limitation; absolute: a clear winner.
11. Free from guilt; untroubled: a clear conscience.
12. Having been freed from contact, proximity, or connection: At last we were clear of the danger. The ship was clear of the reef.
13. Free from charges or deductions; net: a clear profit.
14. Containing nothing.
There is a lot of meaning in one simple word. I like it for meanings of "bright" and "free." Also, the first name I choose myself long ago when I first started using the internet (for me that was age 11 in 6th grade) was, and still is "Polaris." I thought about the name Celeste, also Italian of the correct time period, except that I have a very good college friend named Celeste and there is another active memeber of my local barony named Celeste so this seemed not a good chose for myself. Este was one of the former reigning houses of Italy during Medeival and Reniassance times. The d'Este family included Isabella d'Este (1474-1539) and Beatrice d'Este, both famouswoman of the Renaissance. I liked the sound of the name, and it was of the proper time period. Este means east, which since the sun sets in the west, stars first appear in the east.
I choose Renissance Italy because I like the clothing style from the period. I also dislike wearing things on my head (though I've learned to wear a veil, but I'm just not a hat person), and in Italy, they tended to wear hairnets which I am okay with. Also, Italian clothing tends to be cooler than many other SCA period dress. I choose pre-1500 since that is the time period where Italian dresses had tight sleeves instead of the huge sleeves seen after 1500.