Unisex name · since 1917

Cleary

Since 1917, U.S. Social Security records show 10 babies named Cleary, peaking in 1917. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.

#34,586 of 45,481
all-time among boys
10
born since 1917
1910s
peak decade

10 boys have been named Cleary since 1917, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.

Cleary has 10 recorded births among boys since 1917, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys names, busiest in the 1910s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1917 to 1926.

  • #34,586 of 45,481 all-time among boys
  • 10 born since 1917
  • 1910s peak decade

Data updated Aug 2026

The verdict

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Cleary ranks #34,586 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 10 born since 1917, peaking in the 1910s.

#34,586 of 45,481
all-time among boys
10
born since 1917
1910s
peak decade
Rare archive record
All-time archive position

Cleary's 10 recorded births place it above 21.08% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.

National only
State-record footprint

No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.

Cleary's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Cleary splits its recorded history at 1926: 50% of all births land in the more recent half, 50% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1917 (5 births).

Cleary popularity over time - boys

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1917–1926

Last recorded 1926
Peak year (1917)
5
Annual births at peak, across 10 years of records
5 19171926 5

Cleary popularity over time - girls

8 total births recorded since 2013 (Cleary as girls' name)

Unisex variant - 8 births
8 2013 8

Cleary by decade

1910s is the heaviest window (5 births, 50% of the file).

1910s was Cleary's strongest decade.

5 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 50% of all-time use.

Cleary births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 1910s at 5 births (50% of all-time use).

Source U.S. Social Security Administration · Baby Names As of August 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Cleary? ▼
Since 1917, Social Security records show 10 babies named Cleary. Across the full SSA archive it ranks #34,586 of 45,481 boys' names by total births. The most recent recorded year was 1926. Its busiest year on record was 1917, with 5 births.
Where does Cleary sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Cleary ranks #34,586 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). All-time ordinal matches browse popularity (total births DESC); the current ordinal uses the null SSA file. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
When was Cleary most popular? ▼
Cleary was most popular in the 1910s decade with 5 total births. The single peak year was 1917.
Is Cleary a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Cleary is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 10 births, and as a girl's name it has 8 births.
How long has the name Cleary been used? ▼
Cleary has been recorded in Social Security data since 1917, spanning 10 years of data through 1926.
What names are similar to Cleary? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Cleveland, Clement, Cleo, Cletus, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.

What to do with Cleary's data

  • Cleary's usage has stayed within range of its 1910s decade-level peak (5 total births) through the 1920s (5) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.

Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.

Keep exploring Cleary

Nearby Names Like Cleary

Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Cleary

Cleveland Boy
#7197 21,945 births
Clement Boy
#2259 14,167 births
Cleo Boy
#5213 11,527 births
Cletus Boy
#8260 7,437 births
Cleve Boy
4,506 births

Compare Cleary side by side: Cleary vs Cleveland Cleary vs Clement Cleary vs Cleo

Or pick any two names to compare →

Related Names

Names with a similar number of total births

Bunk
10 births · Peak 1884
Matilda
10 births · Peak 1885
Sank
10 births · Peak 1890
Schley
10 births · Peak 1898
Pet
10 births · Peak 1900
Wert
10 births · Peak 1900
Every
10 births · Peak 1901
Zennie
10 births · Peak 1910

Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span

Two nationwide peer axes for Cleary: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.

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, 1917–1926 (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 Cleary 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.