Boys' name · since 1880
Clarence
303,564 babies named Clarence in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1921. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #119 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #1,499 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 303,564
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
Clarence currently ranks #1499 among boys' names in America, with 303,564 babies recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Clarence has been recorded 303,564 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #1499 nationally and more common than 89% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #119 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #1,499 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 303,564 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Clarence ranks #119 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #1,499 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 303,564 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #119 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #1,499 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 303,564
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
Clarence's 303,564 recorded births place it above 99.73% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
51 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Pennsylvania.
How Clarence compares
303,564 Top 1% higher than 99% of 13,930 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Clarence's all-time total is 823x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Clarence | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 303,564 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 7,332 | 34 | 22,252 |
Clarence's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Clarence's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 21% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 79%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 2023, with only 112 births recorded -- set against the 1921 peak of 7,332, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Clarence popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1921)
- 7,332
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Clarence popularity over time - girls
1,859 total births recorded since 1880 (Clarence as girls' name)
Clarence by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (66,574 births, 22% of the file).
1920s was Clarence's strongest decade.
66,574 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 22% of all-time use.
Clarence births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 8,760
1880s
8,760 births
- 1890s 11,901
1890s
11,901 births
- 1900s 13,573
1900s
13,573 births
- 1910s
1910s
49,196 births
- 1920s
1920s
66,574 births
- 1930s
1930s
42,676 births
- 1940s
1940s
36,197 births
- 1950s
1950s
29,488 births
- 1960s 17,500
1960s
17,500 births
- 1970s 10,667
1970s
10,667 births
- 1980s 7,364
1980s
7,364 births
- 1990s 4,538
1990s
4,538 births
- 2000s 2,592
2000s
2,592 births
- 2010s 1,795
2010s
1,795 births
- 2020s 743
2020s
743 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 66,574 births (22% of all-time use).
How Clarence compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Clarence's total volume
Clarence by state
Where Clarence concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Pennsylvania | | 15,102 | 5.0% |
| #2 | Texas | | 14,956 | 4.9% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 13,475 | 4.4% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 13,321 | 4.4% |
| #5 | North Carolina | | 12,872 | 4.2% |
| #6 | Virginia | | 11,567 | 3.8% |
| #7 | Louisiana | | 10,984 | 3.6% |
| #8 | Georgia | | 10,712 | 3.5% |
15,102 of 303,564 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Clarence appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Clarence? ▼
Where does Clarence sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Clarence most popular? ▼
Where is Clarence most popular? ▼
How long has the name Clarence been used? ▼
What names are similar to Clarence? ▼
What to do with Clarence's data
- Clarence's decade-level peak was the 1920s (66,574 total births); usage has since declined to 743 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Pennsylvania records the most Clarences (15,102 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Pennsylvania names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Clarence
Nearby Names Like Clarence
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Clarence
Compare Clarence side by side: Clarence vs Clayton Clarence vs Claude Clarence vs Clark
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Clarence
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Clarence: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1921)
Similar record span (~145 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Clarence draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.