Total births
3,336
Boys' name · since 1885
Clive
3,336 babies named Clive in U.S. Social Security records since 1885, with the highest year being 2016. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #2043
- among boys today
- 3,336
- born since 1885
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 86%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Clive is the #2043 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 3,336 recorded since 1885.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Clive has been recorded 3,336 times among boys since 1885, currently ranked #2043 nationally and more common than 86% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2010s. 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 2025.
- #2043 among boys today
- 3,336 born since 1885
- 2010s peak decade
- 86% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Clive is currently the #2043 boys' name in America, more common than 86% of boys - 3,336 born since 1885, peaking in the 2010s.
- #2043
- among boys today
- 3,336
- born since 1885
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 86%
- more common than other boys
Clive vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#2043
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 86% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
21% of everyone ever named Clive was born in this single decade.
2016
Single peak year
85 babies were named Clive in 2016 - its busiest year on record.
How Clive compares
3,336 Top 16% higher than 84% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Clive's all-time total is 9x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Clive | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 3,336 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 85 | 23 | 22,252 |
Clive's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Clive's SSA record in two at 1962 and the more recent half accounts for 57% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 43%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1885, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2016 peak of 85, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Clive at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2016
Current rank
#2,043
Active since
1885
Clive popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1885–2025
- Peak year (2016)
- 85
- Annual births at peak, across 141 years of records
Clive by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Clive's strongest decade.
690 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 21% of all-time use.
Clive births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 5
1880s
5 births
- 1890s 40
1890s
40 births
- 1900s 35
1900s
35 births
- 1910s 190
1910s
190 births
- 1920s 270
1920s
270 births
- 1930s
1930s
371 births
- 1940s 265
1940s
265 births
- 1950s 220
1950s
220 births
- 1960s 142
1960s
142 births
- 1970s 100
1970s
100 births
- 1980s 155
1980s
155 births
- 1990s 200
1990s
200 births
- 2000s
2000s
289 births
- 2010s
2010s
690 births
- 2020s
2020s
364 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 690 births (21% of all-time use).
How Clive 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 Clive's total volume
Clive vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Clive by state
Where Clive concentrates geographically, total births since 1885
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 244 | 7.3% |
| #2 | California | | 185 | 5.5% |
| #3 | Texas | | 83 | 2.5% |
| #4 | Washington | | 27 | 0.8% |
| #5 | Florida | | 24 | 0.7% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 16 | 0.5% |
| #7 | Utah | | 12 | 0.4% |
| #8 | Missouri | | 10 | 0.3% |
New York share of Clive's total US births 7.3%
Even split
244 of 3,336 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 18 reporting states.
Clive appears in 18 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Clive? ▼
Since 1885, Social Security records show 3,336 babies named Clive. Today it holds rank #2043 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 2016, with 85 births.
When was Clive most popular? ▼
Clive was most popular in the 2010s decade with 690 total births. The single peak year was 2016.
Where is Clive most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Clive are New York (244 births), California (185 births), Texas (83 births).
How long has the name Clive been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Clive since 1885 -- 141 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Clive? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Clifford, Clinton, Clifton, Clint, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Clive's data
- Clive's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (690 total births) through the 2020s (364) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- New York records the most Clives (244 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 Clive
Nearby Names Like Clive
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Clive
Clifford Boy
#1341 188,249 births
Clinton Boy
#1922 97,567 births
Clifton Boy
#1735 70,249 births
Clint Boy
#2419 32,731 births
Cliff Boy
#3002 9,307 births
Compare Clive side by side: Clive vs Clifford Clive vs Clinton Clive vs Clifton
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Clive
Wendell #2042
53,763 births · Peak 1940
Mordecai #2044
1,650 births · Peak 2022
Mazieon #2041
100 births · Peak 2024
Amor #2045
701 births · Peak 2024
Adael #2040
657 births · Peak 2023
Quinten #2046
8,098 births · Peak 2000
Samarth #2039
1,470 births · Peak 2018
Rockwell #2047
1,801 births · Peak 2017
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, 1885–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Clive: #2043 Boys' Name - 3,336 Births, Peak 2016." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/clive. 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 Clive 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.