Apple’s new software firm was named ‘Claris.’

“We chose the name Claris for its inherent marketing appeal, reflecting clarity and distinctiveness, and to remind us that shaping the future requires a clear vision,” said William V. Campbell, president of the new Cupertino, Calif.-based venture. Apple is forming the company to market applications software for the Macintosh and Apple II personal computers, beginning with the package currently published by Apple. The existing products are MacWrite, MacDraw, MacProject, MacPaint, AppleWorks and Access II.