Girls' name · since 1885
Cleta
Cleta has 4,013 recorded births since 1885 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1935 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #2,988 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 4,013
- born since 1885
- 1930s
- peak decade
Cleta sits outside today's top ranks for girls, with 4,013 recorded since 1885.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Cleta has been recorded 4,013 times among girls since 1885, though it is not among the currently most-used girls names, with its heaviest use in the 1930s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1885 to 1980.
- #2,988 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 4,013 born since 1885
- 1930s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Cleta ranks #2,988 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 4,013 born since 1885, peaking in the 1930s.
- #2,988 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 4,013
- born since 1885
- 1930s
- peak decade
Cleta's 4,013 recorded births place it above 95.86% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
16 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Oklahoma.
Cleta's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Cleta's full recorded timeline at 1935, 44% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 56% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1885, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1935 peak of 136 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Cleta popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1885–1980
- Peak year (1935)
- 136
- Annual births at peak, across 96 years of records
Cleta by decade
1930s is the heaviest window (988 births, 25% of the file).
1930s was Cleta's strongest decade.
988 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 25% of all-time use.
Cleta births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 15
1880s
15 births
- 1890s 67
1890s
67 births
- 1900s 158
1900s
158 births
- 1910s
1910s
626 births
- 1920s
1920s
890 births
- 1930s
1930s
988 births
- 1940s
1940s
617 births
- 1950s
1950s
436 births
- 1960s 140
1960s
140 births
- 1970s 69
1970s
69 births
- 1980s 7
1980s
7 births
What this shows Peak: 1930s at 988 births (25% of all-time use).
How Cleta compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Cleta's total volume
Cleta by state
Where Cleta concentrates geographically, total births since 1885
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Oklahoma | | 550 | 13.7% |
| #2 | Texas | | 423 | 10.5% |
| #3 | Missouri | | 336 | 8.4% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 152 | 3.8% |
| #5 | Kansas | | 140 | 3.5% |
| #6 | Kentucky | | 138 | 3.4% |
| #7 | Arkansas | | 91 | 2.3% |
| #8 | North Carolina | | 43 | 1.1% |
550 of 4,013 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 16 reporting states.
Cleta appears in 16 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Cleta? ▼
Where does Cleta sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Cleta most popular? ▼
Where is Cleta most popular? ▼
How long has the name Cleta been used? ▼
What names are similar to Cleta? ▼
What to do with Cleta's data
- Cleta's decade-level peak was the 1930s (988 total births); usage has since declined to 7 in the 1980s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Oklahoma records the most Cletas (550 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Oklahoma names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Cleta
Nearby Names Like Cleta
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Cleta
Compare Cleta side by side: Cleta vs Cleo Cleta vs Clementine Cleta vs Clemmie
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Cleta: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1935)
Similar record span (~95 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, 1885–1980 (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 Cleta 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.