boy's name
Clément
clay-MAHN
- Origin French
- Gender Boy
- Letters 7
- Popularity Top 1000 (France)
- Births on record 197,343
France
#113
2025 births
Clément is a boy's name of Latin origin meaning "merciful" or "gentle," borne by fourteen popes and by one of the earliest Christian writers outside the New Testament. It ranks 113th in France and is falling.
- Clément is a name of French origin.
- Peaked in France in 1998, when 5,995 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade in France.
- Today about 1 in 1,123 babies in France is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1900.
Clément over time
Births per decade in France, 1900s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1900s | 6,190 |
| 1910s | 4,955 |
| 1920s | 5,125 |
| 1930s | 3,320 |
| 1940s | 1,930 |
| 1950s | 1,565 |
| 1960s | 1,190 |
| 1970s | 2,880 |
| 1980s | 24,385 |
| 1990s | 52,600 |
| 2000s | 45,420 |
| 2010s | 25,980 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 5,040 |
What Clément means
Clément means merciful, mild or gentle, from the Latin clemens. The Roman sense was specifically the restraint a powerful person shows toward someone at their mercy, which is narrower and more pointed than gentle.
Where Clément comes from
Clément is the French form of the Latin Clemens, merciful. Clementia was a Roman virtue with her own cult, and the quality was central to how emperors presented themselves — Caesar's clementia toward defeated enemies was his most advertised trait. Clement of Rome, traditionally the third or fourth pope, wrote a letter to the Corinthians around AD 96 that is among the earliest Christian documents outside the New Testament; by legend he was martyred by being tied to an anchor and thrown into the sea, which is why an anchor is his emblem. Fourteen popes have taken the name, including Clement V, who moved the papacy to Avignon in 1309. The English Clement and the surname Clements come from the same source, as does the girls' name Clementine.
Clément in use
Clément ranks 113th in France with about 525 births in 2025 and is falling from a peak in 1998. Our records carry it from 1900. Outside France it is rare — 1,676th in England and Wales, 2,273rd in the United States — where the unaccented Clement is the usual spelling and is itself uncommon. French records hold Clément and Clement separately, which splits the total.
How popular is Clément?
In 2025, Clément was given to 525 babies in France, ranking #113 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Clément is used
French counts are rounded to the nearest five and nothing below five is published, so these figures show the shape of the name's use rather than an exact tally. Data & sources.
How Clément is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Clement | Clement is a spelling of Clément, used in Canada, where it ranks #263. | 21,203 |
Names that peaked alongside Clément
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Clément also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Clément over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Clément in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
- Dutch
- Clementine
- French
- Clément
Sibling names for Clément
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Clément — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Clément
What does the name Clément mean?
Clément means "merciful" or "gentle," from the Latin clemens.
How many popes were called Clement?
Fourteen, including Clement V, who moved the papacy to Avignon in 1309.
How do you pronounce Clément?
clay-MAHN, with a nasal ending and no sounded t.
Is Clementine related?
Yes — it is the feminine form of the same Latin name.
Is Clément a girl's or a boy's name?
Clément is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
When was Clément most popular?
Clément peaked in 1998, when 5,995 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
Is Clément a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Clément currently ranks #113 in France. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.