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Clyde Name Meaning, Origins & History

Clyde

Pronunciation: KLYD

Meaning Warm Origin place names Gender Boy
BOYS RANK
#743
TREND
15
Peak Years
1920, 1921, 1922
Lowest Years
2002, 2003, 2001
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 Clyde in the available records.

Fun Facts About the Name Clyde

  • Decades of popularity: Clyde stayed in the U.S. top 100 for 59 consecutive years, from 1880 through 1938.
  • More than 148 thousand babies named Clyde: U.S. records list 148,917 babies given the name Clyde from 1880 through 2025. Even 3,932 girls received the name Clyde - about 1 girl for every 37 boys.

What Does the Name Clyde Mean?

Clyde is a masculine given name of Scottish origin, taken from the River Clyde in western Scotland. The river was recorded in the second century by the geographer Ptolemy as Clota, and its Scottish Gaelic name is Cluaidh; the older form is often reconstructed as the Brittonic Clōtā. The literal meaning of this ancient river name is uncertain. A common but unconfirmed suggestion connects it with a Celtic root meaning to wash or cleansing, but that derivation is not universally accepted. As a given name, Clyde is locative: it means from the Clyde or person from the Clyde, and it is not a translation of a separate Celtic word.

Clyde Name History & Origins

The River Clyde rises in the Southern Uplands and flows through Glasgow into the Firth of Clyde. Its name was recorded by Ptolemy as Clota, and in medieval Gaelic it was Cluaidh. The English form Clyde developed from these older names through Scots and English usage. Because the river was a central feature of western Scotland, Clyde also became a Scottish surname for people who lived in the Clyde valley or near the river. The given name developed from that place-name and surname tradition rather than from an ancient personal name.

Clyde was in use as a masculine given name by the 19th century, and it is used in Scotland and other English-speaking countries. In the 20th century, it appeared in literature and popular culture: Clyde Griffiths is the protagonist of Theodore Dreiser's An American Tragedy (1925), and Clyde Barrow was the outlaw partner of Bonnie Parker. These are later uses of the name, not the source of its origin.

How Popular is the Name Clyde?

Clyde remained among the top 100 boy names in the U.S. from 1880 to 1938. Its highest annual birth count was in 1920, and people born that year turn 106 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.

Famous People Named Clyde

Clyde Barrow
Clyde Barrow

Explore Name Lists Featuring Clyde

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 Clyde 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 inventive, intuitive and extremely methodical. Since your will is so strong, you are hard to convince. You also dislike advice. You love beauty and philosophy, and you desire achievement. You have a strong need for freedom - physical, mental and spiritual.

Dependable, very down-to-earth and well grounded, you are always looking for meaningful work, a career where you can take pride in your work and do the best job you are capable of. Your prime desire is to build protected and secure environment at home and at work. You can be very persuasive in achieving goals and gaining objectives. You can be very detailed and well-organized and possess great organizational skills. At times you may appear too stubborn and overly critical to others, but your practical approach to life and productivity makes you one of the most beneficent members of community.

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