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Clarence Name Meaning, Origins & History

Clarence

Pronunciation: KLAIR-uhns

Meaning Bright, famous Origin surnames Gender Boy
BOYS RANK
#1,500
TREND
58
Peak Years
1921, 1920, 1918
Lowest Years
2024, 2023, 2025
Energy Archetype
Cheerful & Expressive

Rank shows the name’s position among U.S. baby names for each gender in 2025. Trend shows how many places it rose or fell since 2024. Rank 1 is the most popular. Based on U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) data. Peak and lowest years are based on the number of boys named Clarence in the available records.

Fun Facts About the Name Clarence

  • Decades of popularity: Clarence stayed in the U.S. top 100 for 72 consecutive years, from 1880 through 1951.
  • More than 305 thousand babies named Clarence: U.S. records list 305,421 babies given the name Clarence from 1880 through 2025. Even 1,859 girls received the name Clarence - about 1 girl for every 163 boys.

What Does the Name Clarence Mean?

Clarence is an English masculine name. It comes from the title Duke of Clarence, which derives from the medieval Latin name Clarentia for Clare, a town in Suffolk, England. The place name is usually explained as coming from Latin clarus, "clear, bright, famous," though its origin is not completely certain; some connect it with a Brittonic or Old English word instead. The familiar gloss of Clarence as "clear, bright" reflects that ultimate Latin source. The name's literal sense is territorial: it identifies someone or something as belonging to Clare. It is not a biblical name and has no Greek or Hebrew root.

Clarence Name History & Origins

The name began as a royal title, not as a personal name. In 1362 King Edward III created his son Lionel of Antwerp Duke of Clarence. The title took its name from Clare in Suffolk, an estate associated with the de Clare family. Lionel's wife, Elizabeth de Burgh, was a descendant of the de Clares, and the title reflected that inheritance. Later dukes included Thomas of Lancaster, brother of Henry V, killed in battle in 1421; George Plantagenet, brother of Edward IV and Richard III, executed in 1478 and traditionally said to have been drowned in a butt of Malmsey wine; and William, Duke of Clarence, who became King William IV in 1830. Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale, died in 1892.

The given name Clarence became more established in the 19th century. It was used in England and the United States; bearers include the American lawyer Clarence Darrow (1857 - 1938) and the jurist Clarence Thomas (born 1948). Shakespeare's portrayal of George, Duke of Clarence, in Henry VI, Part 3 and Richard III is a famous literary use, but the title and the name were centuries old by then. The Irish County Clare is not the source of the English given name: its name comes from Irish Clár, meaning "plain" or "board," while Clarence goes back to Clare in Suffolk.

How Popular is the Name Clarence?

Clarence remained among the top 100 boy names in the U.S. from 1880 to 1951. Its highest annual birth count was in 1921, and people born that year turn 105 in 2026.

U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.

Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.

Explore Name Lists Featuring Clarence

Carl appears in several baby name collections based on U.S. popularity records, naming trends, and name characteristics. Explore these lists to discover other names with similar histories, styles, or features.

Longtime Favorite Boy Names

Longtime Favorite Boy Names Through the Years

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How the Name Clarence Shapes Your Personality and Life?

You are cheerful and friendly, but are apt to have an emotional life. You like to have several lines of effort going at once. You are a good talker and promoter and seldom worry over anything. At times, you can be impatient, and impulsive. You have the ability to bring an idea to completion. You can express yourself joyously and constructively. You might be psychic, but not know it. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.

You are very intuitive. You have a reservoir of inspired wisdom combined with inherited analytical ability, which could reward you through expressions of spiritual leadership, business analysis, marketing, artistic visions, and scientific research. Operating on spiritual side of your individuality can bring you to the great heights, and drop you off if you neglect your spiritual identity. You are always looking for an opportunity to investigate the unknown, to use and show your mental abilities, to find the purpose and meaning of life. You want to grow wise and to understand people and things. You need privacy to replenish your energy. You have a unique way of thinking, intuitive, reflective, absorbing.

✦ Clarence's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Clarence's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.
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