Clementine
Clementine was the 456th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 676 babies. Its best year was 1882, when it ranked 363rd; the most babies were born in 2025 (676). Over the last ten years it has moved up 359 places. More babies were named Clementine in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning merciful (feminine of Clement) · Latin, French
Say it KLEM-un-tyn /ˈklɛməntaɪn/
- Rank in 2025
- #456 girls, up 147 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 676girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2025676 babies
- Total since 1880
- 13,676babies recorded
What does the name Clementine mean?
Clementine is the French feminine of Clement, from Latin clemens, "merciful, gentle". DMNES glosses clemens "merciful, loving; mild, gentle" and lists several popes named Clement. The American folk song "Oh My Darling, Clementine" and the clementine orange, which Dictionary.com records, keep the name familiar. It has returned in the US recently.
clēmēns (Latin, “merciful, gentle”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Clement, Clementina, Clemmie, Clem.
See also: Latin names, names that mean grace, virtue names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Clementine', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources (ed. S. L. Uckelman), Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Clement', DMNES, Durham University
- Dictionary.com Unabridged (based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary), with Collins English Dictionary, s.v. 'Clementine', Dictionary.com / Random House / HarperCollins
Nicknames for Clementine
The usual nicknames for Clementine are Clem and Clemmie.
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Clementines go by each one.
Clementine popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #456 | 676 |
| 2020 | #603 | 483 |
| 2010 | #1,629 | 132 |
| 2000 | #6,557 | 16 |
| 1990 | #7,412 | 11 |
| 1980 | #7,546 | 8 |
| 1970 | #5,910 | 8 |
| 1960 | #1,565 | 51 |
| 1950 | #742 | 134 |
| 1940 | #672 | 106 |
| 1930 | #707 | 96 |
| 1920 | #662 | 119 |
| 1910 | #480 | 71 |
| 1900 | #659 | 29 |
| 1890 | #388 | 42 |
| 1880 | #376 | 19 |
How popular is Clementine, counting every spelling?
Clementine is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #465 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #456 for Clementine on its own. Together these spellings went to 686 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clementine | 676 | #456 | 2,985 |
| Klementine | 10 | #9,794 | 29 |
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 Clementine?
676 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Clementine (0.19 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Clementine 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 12 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Clementine.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Clementine?
About 8,900 people born in the US named Clementine are alive today, with a median age of 9; half are between 4 and 19. That makes Clementine a young name: most people with it are children.
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.
Clementine by state
How common Clementine was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Oregon (3.0×), Idaho (2.5×), Washington (2.3×), New Mexico (2.2×), Oklahoma (2.0×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Iowa, Nebraska, Connecticut.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Clementine: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Clementine, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Clementine · Sibling names for Clementine
Questions about the name Clementine
What does Clementine mean?
Clementine means “merciful (feminine of Clement)” (Latin, French origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Clementine?
Clementine was the 456th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 676 babies. Its best year was 1882, when it ranked 363rd; the most babies were born in 2025 (676). Over the last ten years it has moved up 359 places. More babies were named Clementine in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Clementine a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Clementine in the US.
Where is Clementine most popular?
In 2021–2025, Clementine was most common in Montana (1.33 per 1,000 girls), followed by Alaska and Oregon.