Boys' name · since 1897
Clearence
Clearence has 1,427 recorded births since 1897 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1927 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #4,091 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 1,427
- born since 1897
- 1920s
- peak decade
Clearence is not among the current top-ranked boys names; 1,427 have been recorded since 1897.
Clearence has 1,427 recorded births among boys since 1897, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys names, busiest in the 1920s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1897 to 1986.
- #4,091 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 1,427 born since 1897
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Clearence ranks #4,091 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 1,427 born since 1897, peaking in the 1920s.
- #4,091 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 1,427
- born since 1897
- 1920s
- peak decade
Clearence's 1,427 recorded births place it above 91% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
11 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Kentucky.
Clearence's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Clearence's SSA record in two at 1940 and the more recent half accounts for 37% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 63%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1965, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1927 peak of 58, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Clearence popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1897–1986
- Peak year (1927)
- 58
- Annual births at peak, across 90 years of records
No longer in the modern top-1000, last recorded 1986.
1,427 total births across 90 years of SSA records. Peaked in 1927 with 58 births in a single year.
Clearence by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (393 births, 28% of the file).
1920s was Clearence's strongest decade.
393 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 28% of all-time use.
Clearence births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1890s 6
1890s
6 births
- 1900s 21
1900s
21 births
- 1910s 132
1910s
132 births
- 1920s
1920s
393 births
- 1930s
1930s
344 births
- 1940s
1940s
280 births
- 1950s 149
1950s
149 births
- 1960s 69
1960s
69 births
- 1970s 27
1970s
27 births
- 1980s 6
1980s
6 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 393 births (28% of all-time use).
Clearence decade highlights
- Peak decade 393 births
- Runner-up 344 births
- Modern era share 2010s + 2020s
- Decades tracked with recorded births
How Clearence 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 Clearence's total volume
Clearence by state
Where Clearence concentrates geographically, total births since 1897
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Kentucky | | 43 | 3.0% |
| #2 | North Carolina | | 38 | 2.7% |
| #3 | Tennessee | | 36 | 2.5% |
| #4 | Virginia | | 24 | 1.7% |
| #5 | Alabama | | 22 | 1.5% |
| #6 | Texas | | 22 | 1.5% |
| #7 | Louisiana | | 16 | 1.1% |
| #8 | West Virginia | | 6 | 0.4% |
43 of 1,427 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 11 reporting states.
Top 5 states
- Kentucky 3.0% of nationwide
- North Carolina 2.7% of nationwide
- Tennessee 2.5% of nationwide
- Virginia 1.7% of nationwide
- Alabama 1.5% of nationwide
Recorded in 11 of 51 SSA jurisdictions
Kentucky accounts for 3.0% of all recorded births nationwide - a relatively diffuse profile for this name.
Clearence appears in 11 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
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Where does Clearence sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Clearence most popular? ▼
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What to do with Clearence's data
- Clearence's decade-level peak was the 1920s (393 total births); usage has since declined to 6 in the 1980s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Kentucky records the most Clearences (43 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Kentucky names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Clearence
Nearby Names Like Clearence
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Clearence
Compare Clearence side by side: Clearence vs Cleveland Clearence vs Clement Clearence vs Cleo
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Clearence: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1927)
Similar record span (~89 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, 1897–1986 (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 Clearence 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.
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