Clive: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#2,398

among boys · ↓353 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Clive · -23% vs 2024

How common

1 in 29,966

boys born in 2025

Peak year

2016

85 babies

All-time total

3,336

#2,359 all-time among boys

First recorded

1885

in Social Security records

Clive popularity over time

3,336 babies have been named Clive since 1885, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure

Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade	Boys	Per year	Change	Best rank
1880s	5	1	–	#966
1890s	40	4	+700%	#796
1900s	35	4	-12%	#764
1910s	190	19	+443%	#1,106
1920s	270	27	+42%	#1,332
1930s	371	37	+37%	#901
1940s	265	27	-29%	#1,060
1950s	220	22	-17%	#1,351
1960s	142	14	-35%	#1,489
1970s	100	10	-30%	#2,704
1980s	155	16	+55%	#2,447
1990s	200	20	+29%	#2,027
2000s	289	29	+44%	#2,324
2010s	690	69	+139%	#1,791
2020s (to 2025)	364	61	-12%	#2,045

Where Clive is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year	Projected babies	Per 1,000 boys	Implied rank
2026	56	0.03	outside top 500
2027	55	0.03	outside top 500
2028	55	0.03	outside top 500
2029	54	0.03	outside top 500
2030	54	0.03	outside top 500

Where Clive is most popular

Boys named Clive per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.036 per 1,000. Strongest in Missouri, Indiana, and California.

Vs national average

well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Clive born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State	Boys 2021–2025	Per 1,000	vs national
Missouri	10	0.072	+102%
Indiana	5	0.031	-13%
California	27	0.030	-17%
Tennessee	5	0.028	-23%
New York	11	0.025	-29%
Texas	21	0.024	-33%
Illinois	6	0.023	-34%
Florida	11	0.023	-35%
Pennsylvania	5	0.019	-47%
Alaska	–	–	–
Alabama	–	–	–
Arkansas	–	–	–
Arizona	–	–	–
Colorado	–	–	–
Connecticut	–	–	–
District of Columbia	–	–	–
Delaware	–	–	–
Georgia	–	–	–
Hawaii	–	–	–
Iowa	–	–	–
Idaho	–	–	–
Kansas	–	–	–
Kentucky	–	–	–
Louisiana	–	–	–
Massachusetts	–	–	–
Maryland	–	–	–
Maine	–	–	–
Michigan	–	–	–
Minnesota	–	–	–
Mississippi	–	–	–
Montana	–	–	–
North Carolina	–	–	–
North Dakota	–	–	–
Nebraska	–	–	–
New Hampshire	–	–	–
New Jersey	–	–	–
New Mexico	–	–	–
Nevada	–	–	–
Ohio	–	–	–
Oklahoma	–	–	–
Oregon	–	–	–
Rhode Island	–	–	–
South Carolina	–	–	–
South Dakota	–	–	–
Utah	–	–	–
Virginia	–	–	–
Vermont	–	–	–
Washington	–	–	–
Wisconsin	–	–	–
West Virginia	–	–	–
Wyoming	–	–	–

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Clive

Clive is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #2,398 in 2025 with 57 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1885, 3,336 American babies have been named Clive. Its peak came in 2016, when 85 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2010s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Clive stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Clive?

The median living Clive is about 17 years old; half are between 8 and 46. An estimated 2,200 people named Clive are alive in the United States today.

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Clive year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year	Boys	Boys rank
2025	57	#2,398
2024	74	#2,045
2023	54	#2,484
2022	55	#2,497
2021	69	#2,097
2020	55	#2,398
2019	64	#2,190
2018	82	#1,840
2017	67	#2,069
2016	85	#1,791
2015	82	#1,817
2014	77	#1,890
2013	56	#2,286
2012	67	#2,051
2011	53	#2,382
2010	57	#2,265
2009	56	#2,324
2008	49	#2,552
2007	45	#2,692
2006	38	#2,943
2005	21	#4,219
2004	20	#4,290
2003	18	#4,453
2002	14	#5,181
2001	9	#7,024
2000	19	#4,084
1995	19	#3,451
1990	27	#2,502
1985	13	#3,441
1980	11	#3,659
1975	12	#3,106
1970	10	#3,105
1965	8	#3,022
1960	19	#1,868
1955	26	#1,511
1950	19	#1,707
1945	23	#1,384
1940	19	#1,583
1935	41	#996
1930	50	#960
1925	27	#1,428
1920	26	#1,464
1915	34	#1,106
1910	8	#1,222
1905	–	–
1900	5	#1,355
1895	7	#894
1890	–	–
1885	5	#966
1880	–	–

Famous people named Clive

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

1 Clive Davis American music executive (1932–2026) Contemporary
2 Clive Owen British actor (born 1964) Contemporary
3 Clive Barker English author, film director and visual artist (born 1952) Contemporary
4 Clive Swift English actor and songwriter (1936–2019) Contemporary
5 Clive Russell British actor (born 1945) Contemporary
6 Clive Standen English actor b. 1981 · Contemporary
7 Clive Cussler American novelist and underwater explorer (1931–2020) Contemporary
8 Clive Burr English drummer (1956–2013) 1957–2013 · Contemporary
9 Clive Dunn English actor (1920–2012) Contemporary
10 Clive Revill New Zealand actor (1930–2025) Contemporary
11 Clive Sinclair English entrepreneur and inventor (1940–2021) Contemporary
12 Clive Allen English footballer (born 1961) Contemporary
13 Clive Donner British film director (1926–2010) Contemporary
14 Clive Brook English film actor (1887–1974) 19th century
15 Clive Granger British economist and Nobel laureate (1934–2009) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Clive, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Clive?

The median living Clive is about 17 years old. Half of all living Clives are between 8 and 46 years old.

How many people named Clive are alive today?

An estimated 2,200 people named Clive are alive in the United States, based on 3,336 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Clive mean?

A male given name transferred from the surname, popular in Britain in the mid-twentieth century.

How popular is the name Clive in 2025?

Clive ranked #2,398 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 57 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Clive?

3,336 babies have been named Clive in the United States since 1885, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Clive most popular?

Clive peaked in 2016, when 85 newborns received the name.

Is Clive a boy or girl name?

Clive is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Clive rising or falling?

Clive has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Will Clive become more popular?

Clive looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 54 boys named Clive in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Clive?

Well-known people named Clive include Clive Davis (musician), Clive Owen (actor), Clive Barker (writer).

Names like Clive

Names that sound and feel close to Clive: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Clive with similar names → More names starting with C →