Clarence
Clarence was the 1500th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 117 babies. Its best year was 1885, when it ranked 17th; the most babies were born in 1921 (7,332). Over the last ten years it has moved down 430 places. More babies were named Clarence in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning of Clare (a ducal title) · English, Latin
Say it KLAIR-unss /ˈklɛɹəns/
- Rank in 2025
- #1,500 boys, down 173 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 117boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19217,332 babies
- Total since 1880
- 305,423babies recorded
What does the name Clarence mean?
Clarence began as an English royal title, Duke of Clarence, created in 1362 for a son of Edward III who had married the heiress of Clare in Suffolk; the Latin title Clarensis means 'of Clare', as Wiktionary notes. The name Clare itself may come from a Celtic river name or from Latin clarus 'bright'. It became a given name in the 19th century and was very common in the US around 1900-1920.
Clārensis (Medieval Latin, “of Clare”)
How sure is this? Well established. The title's origin is clear; the meaning of the place name Clare is not.
Related names: Clare, Clarance.
See also: English names, names from places.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Clarence', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (our computation), SSA (public domain)
Clarence popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 1,859 since 1880.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,500 | 117 |
| 2020 | #1,327 | 135 |
| 2010 | #989 | 199 |
| 2000 | #614 | 310 |
| 1990 | #375 | 618 |
| 1980 | #257 | 859 |
| 1970 | #193 | 1,384 |
| 1960 | #157 | 2,198 |
| 1950 | #95 | 3,340 |
| 1940 | #64 | 3,487 |
| 1930 | #39 | 5,498 |
| 1920 | #26 | 7,221 |
| 1910 | #20 | 1,706 |
| 1900 | #18 | 1,483 |
| 1890 | #17 | 1,018 |
| 1880 | #22 | 730 |
How popular is Clarence, counting every spelling?
Clarence is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #1,382 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,500 for Clarence on its own. Together these spellings went to 122 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clarence | 117 | #1,500 | 608 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Clarence?
117 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Clarence (0.03 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Clarence born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 72 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Clarence.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Clarence?
About 79,800 people born in the US named Clarence are alive today, with a median age of 66; half are between 51 and 77. That makes Clarence a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Clarence by state
How common Clarence was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. In 32 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Clarence: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Clarence, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Clarence · Sibling names for Clarence
Questions about the name Clarence
What does Clarence mean?
Clarence means “of Clare (a ducal title)” (English, Latin origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Clarence?
Clarence was the 1500th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 117 babies. Its best year was 1885, when it ranked 17th; the most babies were born in 1921 (7,332). Over the last ten years it has moved down 430 places. More babies were named Clarence in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Clarence a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Clarence in the US.
Where is Clarence most popular?
In 2021–2025, Clarence was most common in Louisiana (0.11 per 1,000 boys), followed by Florida and North Carolina.