According to behindthename dot com, the name 'Clarice' possibly comes from a medieval French form of Claritia, a derivative of Clara.[a] Clara is a feminine form of the Late Latin name Clarus which meant "clear, bright, famous." The name Clarus was borne by a few early saints. The feminine form was popularized by the 13th-century Saint Clare of Assisi (called Chiara in Italian), a friend and follower of Saint Francis, who left her wealthy family to found the order of nuns known as the Poor Clares. As an English name it has been in use since the Middle Ages, originally in the form Clare, though the Latinate spelling Clara became more popular in the 19th century.[b]
Pope Pius XII in 1958 named St. Clare the patron saint of television.[c] This reminds us of there being a television set sitting nearby during Clarice's second visit with Lecter (as shown at left).
a. Behind the Name, 'Clarice'. Web, n.d. URL = http://www.behindthename.com/name/clarice.
b. Behind the Name, 'Clara'. Web, n.d. URL = http://www.behindthename.com/name/clara.
c. LETTRE APOSTOLIQUE PROCLAMANT Ste CLAIRE PATRONNE CÉLESTE DE LA TÉLÉVISION (Apostolic Letter proclaiming Saint Claire as Heavenly Patron of Television) (French). 1958. Official website of the Holy See. 11 Nov. 2015. URL = http://w2.vatican.va/content/pius-xii/fr/apost_letters/documents/hf_p-xii_apl_21081958_st-claire.html.
