Cleon
Cleon was an Athenian politician and general (strategos) during the Peloponnesian War. The son of Cleaenetus, a wealthy tanner, Cleon was among the first prominent Athenian politicians of the 5th century BC to obtain power from outside the established elite.
- Ancient Greek
Meaning & Origin of Cleon
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Cleon was an Athenian politician and general (strategos) during the Peloponnesian War. The son of Cleaenetus, a wealthy tanner, Cleon was among the first prominent Athenian politicians of the 5th century BC to obtain power from outside the established elite.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Ancient Greek
The Story of Cleon
As a girl name
Cleon first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1905, with 5 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1917: 11 births, good for #2,693 nationwide. About 37% of every Cleon on record arrived during the 1920s, its defining decade. Cleon last appeared in the published SSA data in 1942, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 189 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1900s to the 2020s.
As a boy name
The earliest SSA record of Cleon as a boy name dates back to 1884, when 6 babies received it. 1921 was its biggest year on record, with 75 newborns named Cleon — #772 in the national rankings. Cleon last appeared in the published SSA data in 2024, with 8 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 3K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Cleon
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Cleon. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Kleon
Where is Cleon most common?
Predicted country distribution based on naming patterns globally.
- JM55%
- United States27%
- Brazil7%
- Singapore6%
- AG5%
Source: Nationalize.io . Probabilities are global naming-pattern estimates, not strict counts.
Names that sound like Cleon
Phonetically similar names — useful when Cleon is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Cleon
What does the name Cleon mean?
What is the origin of the name Cleon?
How popular is Cleon in 2026?
When was Cleon most popular?
In which U.S. states is Cleon most popular?
Is Cleon a unisex name?
What names go well with Cleon?
What are nicknames or variants of Cleon?
About the name Cleon
Cleon is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1884 and has accumulated 3K births in the dataset. Cleon's peak popularity came in 1921 when it ranked #772. Use the chart and map above to compare Cleon's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1921 →
- Names of the 1920s →
- Names starting with "C" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.