Total births
4,013
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.
- 4,013
- total births
- 1885–1980
- years on record
- 1930s
- peak decade
- 25%
- born in that 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.
- 4,013 total births
- 1885–1980 years on record
- 1930s peak decade
- 25% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
4,013 girls have been named Cleta since 1885, peaking in the 1930s, last recorded in 1980.
- 4,013
- total births
- 1885–1980
- years on record
- 1930s
- peak decade
- 25%
- born in that decade
1930s
Peak decade
25% of everyone ever named Cleta was born in this single decade.
1935
Single peak year
136 babies were named Cleta in 1935 - its busiest year on record.
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 at a glance
Last recorded 1980Peak year
1935
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1885
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
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
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 vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
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% |
Oklahoma share of Cleta's total US births 13.7%
Even split
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? ▼
4,013 babies have been named Cleta since 1885. It was last recorded in 1980. The peak year was 1935 with 136 births.
When was Cleta most popular? ▼
Cleta was most popular in the 1930s decade with 988 total births. The single peak year was 1935.
Where is Cleta most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Cleta are Oklahoma (550 births), Texas (423 births), Missouri (336 births).
How long has the name Cleta been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Cleta since 1885 -- 96 years through the most recent 1980 data.
What names are similar to Cleta? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Cleo, Clementine, Clemmie, Cleopatra, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
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
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare 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
Cleo Girl
#607 33,565 births
Clementine Girl
#474 13,676 births
Clemmie Girl
2,637 births
Cleopatra Girl
#3402 2,484 births
Cleora Girl
1,712 births
Compare Cleta side by side: Cleta vs Cleo Cleta vs Clementine Cleta vs Clemmie
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of June 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).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Cleta: Baby Name Since 1885 - 4,013 Births, Peak 1935." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/cleta. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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 June 2026.