Boys' name · since 1948
Clete
281 babies named Clete in U.S. Social Security records since 1948, with the highest year being 1965. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #10,978 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 281
- born since 1948
- 1960s
- peak decade
Clete is not among the current top-ranked boys names; 281 have been recorded since 1948.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Clete has been recorded 281 times among boys since 1948, though it is not among the currently most-used boys names, with its heaviest use in the 1960s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1948 to 2017.
- #10,978 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 281 born since 1948
- 1960s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Clete ranks #10,978 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 281 born since 1948, peaking in the 1960s.
- #10,978 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 281
- born since 1948
- 1960s
- peak decade
Clete's 281 recorded births place it above 75.81% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 1 jurisdictions, led by California.
Clete's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Clete's full recorded timeline at 1972, 42% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 58% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1952, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1965 peak of 18 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Clete popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1948–2017
- Peak year (1965)
- 18
- Annual births at peak, across 70 years of records
Clete by decade
1960s is the heaviest window (96 births, 34% of the file).
1960s was Clete's strongest decade.
96 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 34% of all-time use.
Clete births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1940s 6
1940s
6 births
- 1950s
1950s
44 births
- 1960s
1960s
96 births
- 1970s
1970s
67 births
- 1980s 27
1980s
27 births
- 2000s 21
2000s
21 births
- 2010s 20
2010s
20 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 96 births (34% of all-time use).
Clete by state
Where Clete concentrates geographically, total births since 1948
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 5 | 1.8% |
5 of 281 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Clete? ▼
Where does Clete sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Clete most popular? ▼
Where is Clete most popular? ▼
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What to do with Clete's data
- Clete's decade-level peak was the 1960s (96 total births); usage has since declined to 20 in the 2010s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Cletes (5 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Clete
Nearby Names Like Clete
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Clete
Compare Clete side by side: Clete vs Cleveland Clete vs Clement Clete 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 Clete: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1965)
Similar record span (~69 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, 1948–2017 (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 Clete 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.