Given name & surname · also Late Latin

Clement

“merciful”·“a merciful man”

Clement is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “merciful” (Late Latin) and “a merciful man” (Latin). These may reflect different naming traditions.

Original GreekΚλημης

Meaning & origin

What it means

Interpretations include “merciful” (Late Latin) and “a merciful man” (Latin). These may reflect different naming traditions.

Where it comes from

An origin associated with this spelling is Late Latin.

How it developed

From Late Latin Clēmens.

Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)

The story

Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.

From dated birth records

In the Bible

In the Bible, the name Clement appears in Philippians 4:3.

From biblical name research

Clement through the years

Babies since 1880
14,173
14,167 boys · 6 girls
Most popular year
1918
344 babies
2025
62
#2,262 for boys
2021–25 vs 2016–20
+20%
Rising
020040060018801900192019401960198020002025Highest share 191236
Clement in U.S. Social Security birth records, 1880–2025, per million boys born. Years with fewer than five births for a sex are not published and appear as zero. Use the arrow keys to step through years.

Where it’s given

Most at home inPennsylvania, Florida, Texas
FewerMore, relative to births Not published
2025 births by state of birth. Tiles are equal-sized so small states stay visible. Highest rates: Pennsylvania (5), Florida (6), Texas (6), California (5).

By the numbers

In 2025, this name appeared in 62 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 2,262 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 20.1% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 344 in 1918. In 2025, Florida and Texas shared the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (6 each). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 7,609 as a first name in 2020; 22,799 as a surname in 2020.

From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.

Clement’s family of names

Clement has a short form in Clem. Clement shares a linguistic root with Clemente. Clement has a related form in Clemmie.

Walk Clement’s family in the name graph

Around the world

Clement has relatives in 20 languages. Lines run from its Latin roots to each of them.

PortugueseEnglishGermanGreekTagalogLatin

21 related names in 20 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.

Each dot marks where a language is rooted, not where people with the name live today. Bigger dots hold more names. Dots on the border stand for languages further away. Language locations from Glottolog (CC BY 4.0); map from Natural Earth.

Appears in

Similar names

If you love Clement, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.

Italian · Old-fashioned

Gennaro

“born of Janus”

22RareRising

>99% boys

English · Old-fashioned

Claude

“one who is lame”

29RareEasing

>99% boys

Roman · Old-fashioned

Julius

“the child of Jove; one who is youthful”

62FamiliarEasing

>99% boys

Latin · Old-fashioned

Chester

“from the camp of the soldiers”

40UncommonSteady

>99% boys

Latin · Old-fashioned

Morris

“a dark-skinned man; Moorish”

38RareSteady

>99% boys

Latin · Old-fashioned

Buster

“pockmark, boil”

17Very rareRising

>99% boys

Ancient Greek · Old-fashioned

Christ

“[the] anointed [one]”

28RareSteady

98% boys · 2% girls

Latin · Old-fashioned

Elmo

“a protector” · “an amiable man”

0Not recently recorded

98% boys · 2% girls

Sibling ideas

Names that share Clement’s feel without repeating its first letter or rhyming with it.

A brother for Clement

A sister for Clement