Boy · #10,774 in 2026

Clete

Name: Popularity of the name Clete in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Clete, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Clete is a given name. Notable people with the name include:Greek mythological figures: Clete or Cleta, one of the Charites Clete (Amazon), companion of Penthesilea Astronomy: 385695 Clete, a minor planet People: Clete Blakeman, official in the National Football League since the 2008 NFL season Clete Boyer (1937–2007), Major League Baseball player Clete Donald Johnson, Jr. Clete Roberts…

Current Rank

#10,774

Peak Rank

#1,856 (1965)

Total Babies

281

5-Yr Trend

Stable

1948

First Year

2017

Last Year

1965

Peak Year

#1856

Peak Rank

281

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Clete

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Clete

Clete first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1948, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1965, when 18 Cletes were born — ranking #1,856 that year. As of 2026, Clete ranks #10,774 for baby boys with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 281 Cletes have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1940s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Clete

Phonetically similar names — useful when Clete is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Cleat
Cleet
Clit
Clout
Clot
Clut
Clat
Klit
Clute
Klute
Clet
Klatt

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Clete

What does the name Clete mean?

How popular is Clete in 2026?

In 2026, Clete ranks #10,774 among boys' names in the U.S., with 6 babies given the name that year.

When was Clete most popular?

Clete reached its peak popularity in 1965, ranking #1,856 that year with 18 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Clete most popular?

Clete has historically been most popular in California. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Clete.

Is Clete a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Clete is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Clete?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Clete include Ringo, Penn, Jac. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Clete

Clete is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1948 and has accumulated 281 births in the dataset. Clete's peak popularity came in 1965 when it ranked #1,856. Use the chart and map above to compare Clete's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

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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.