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Name Lineage

    The first name Clarence

    A boy’s name meaning “from the town of clare”.

    Pronounced /ˈklæɹəns/ 2 syllables Male Also a surname

    Meaning and origin

    Clarence means “from the town of clare”.

    Originally a ducal title of the English and British royal family, from Clārensis (“from the town of Clare”), (the town of Clare, Suffolk), although it has also been associated with Italian Chiarenza, Clarentza, &c., a former fortress and settlement in the medieval Frankish Principality of Achaea in Greece.

    From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

    Popularity

    Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025

    Clarence last appeared in the official list in 2024, given to 4 boys. It peaked in 2019, with 15 births (#1,587).

    01020 1996200020052010201520202025
    160
    babies named Clarence, 1996–2025
    #4,270
    rank in 2024
    2019
    peak year

    Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Clarence with other names.

    Popularity in the United States

    Babies named Clarence at birth, 1880–2025

    In 2025, 117 boys born in the United States were named Clarence, the 1,500th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1921, when 7,332 were.

    04,0008,000 188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
    305,423
    babies named Clarence since 1880
    #1,500
    rank in 2025
    1921
    peak year

    US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.

    Famous people named Clarence

    106 on Wikidata, most written-about first

    • Clarence Seedorf
      Dutch professional football manager and former player, born 1976
    • Clarence Darrow
      American lawyer and politician (1857–1938)
    • Clarence Thomas
      Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States since 1991
    • Clarence Brown
      American film director (1890–1987)
    • Clarence Clemons
      American saxophonist (1942–2011)
    • Clarence Gilyard
      American actor (1955–2022)
    • Clarence Zener
      American physicist, 1905–1993
    • Clarence Nash
      American voice actor (1904–1985)
    • Clarence Goodson
      American soccer player, born 1982
    • Clarence Williams III
      American actor (1939–2021)
    • Clarence White
      American musician (1944–1973)
    • Clarence Birdseye
      American inventor (1886–1956)

    Questions

    What does the name Clarence mean?
    Clarence means “from the town of clare”.
    How popular is the name Clarence?
    In 2024, 4 boys born in England and Wales were named Clarence, ranking 4,270th. Its peak was 2019, with 15 births.
    Is Clarence a boy's or a girl's name?
    Mostly a boy's name: 99% of the 305,423 US babies named Clarence since 1880 were boys.
    When was Clarence most popular?
    1921 in the United States, when 7,332 babies were named Clarence, its highest rank at 28th.
    How do you pronounce Clarence?
    Clarence is /ˈklæɹəns/, 2 syllables.
    Is Clarence also a surname?
    Yes. Clarence is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.