boy's name
Clyde
KLYDE
- Origin Scottish
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 1
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 150,026
the United States
#742
2025 births
Clyde took nothing from Bonnie and Clyde. The pair died in May 1934 and American births barely moved — 2,362 that year against 2,194 two years later. Our data marks the name reviving now, at 742nd in the United States.
- Clyde is a name of Scottish origin.
- Peaked in 1920, when 3,164 babies were given the name.
- After peaking in the 1920s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
- Today about 1 in 9,472 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.
Clyde over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s 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 |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 3,267 |
| 1890s | 4,090 |
| 1900s | 5,093 |
| 1910s | 20,804 |
| 1920s | 29,791 |
| 1930s | 22,856 |
| 1940s | 20,964 |
| 1950s | 18,045 |
| 1960s | 9,136 |
| 1970s | 4,410 |
| 1980s | 2,812 |
| 1990s | 1,686 |
| 2000s | 1,304 |
| 2010s | 2,493 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 2,175 |
What Clyde means
Clyde means from the River Clyde. The river's own name is Celtic and usually read as the washer or the cleansing one, understood as a river goddess rather than a description.
Where Clyde comes from
Clyde is the Scottish river that runs through Glasgow, from a Celtic name reconstructed as Clota — likely the washer or cleanser, and probably the name of a goddess of the river rather than a description of the water. Rivers were widely treated as divine in Celtic Britain, and the Severn, the Dee and the Boyne all carry names of the same kind. The Clyde built roughly a fifth of the world's ships at its peak, and Clydesdale horses take the name from the surrounding valley. Its use as a given name is nineteenth-century and largely American.
Clyde in use
The outlaw story does nothing in our data. Clyde ran at 2,362 American births in 1934, the year Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were killed, 2,194 in 1936 and 2,037 in 1940 — a steady drift, with no spike and no collapse. Our data marks it reviving now, at 742nd in the United States on 350 births, 763rd in Scotland, 5486th in France and 5789th in England and Wales, across 150,026 lifetime births.
How popular is Clyde?
In 2025, Clyde was given to 350 babies in the United States, ranking #742 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Clyde is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Clyde
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Clyde also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Clyde over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Sibling names for Clyde
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Clyde — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Clyde
What does the name Clyde mean?
From the River Clyde — a Celtic name usually read as the washer or cleanser, probably a river goddess.
Did Bonnie and Clyde affect the name?
Not measurably. Births ran 2,362 in 1934, the year they died, and 2,194 two years later — a steady drift either way.
Are Clydesdale horses named after it?
Yes, after the valley of the same river.
Is Clyde coming back?
Our data marks it reviving, at 742nd in the United States.
How popular is the name Clyde?
In 2025, Clyde was given to 350 babies in the United States, ranking #742 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Clyde a girl's or a boy's name?
Clyde is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Clyde?
Clyde has 1 syllable.
When was Clyde most popular?
Clyde peaked in 1920, when 3,164 babies were given the name. After peaking in the 1920s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
Is Clyde a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Clyde currently ranks #742 in the United States. After peaking in the 1920s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.