Cleetus
A masculine name of Greek origin meaning "one who is called".
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Cleetus. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Cleetus today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Cleetus births was 1928 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Cleetus. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Cleetus. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1928
5 babies that year
Average age
-
1928 SSA rank
#4,845
Tracked since 1928
Popularity
Cleetus: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Cleetus by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Cleetus during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 0 | 5 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Cleetus
The name Cleetus has its origins in the Latin name Cletus, which was derived from the Greek name Κλῆτος (Klētos). This Greek name means "called" or "summoned," likely referring to being called or summoned by God. The name Cletus was relatively common in ancient Rome, particularly among early Christians.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Pope Cletus, who was the fourth Pope and served from around 88 to 99 AD. He is recognized as a saint in the Catholic Church and is mentioned in various early Christian writings and texts.
During the Middle Ages, the name Cletus evolved into various spellings, including Clete, Cleet, and eventually Cleetus. This variation likely arose from the influence of regional dialects and language changes over time.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Cleetus was Cleetus the Feeder, a monk who lived in the 6th century AD in what is now modern-day Scotland. He was known for his dedication to providing food and care for the poor and needy.
In the 12th century, there was a Cleetus of Trèves, a Catholic bishop and scholar who wrote extensively on theology and philosophy. He was known for his contributions to the development of scholastic thought during the Medieval period.
Moving forward in history, in the 16th century, there was a Cleetus von Galen, a German nobleman and military commander who fought in the Thirty Years' War. He was known for his strategic prowess and his unwavering loyalty to the Holy Roman Empire.
Another notable figure was Cleetus Oldenburg, a Dutch painter and engraver who lived in the 17th century. He was renowned for his intricate and detailed scenes depicting everyday life and was considered a master of the Dutch Golden Age of painting.
In the 19th century, there was Cleetus Merfeld, a German-American writer and journalist who was a prominent voice in the German immigrant community in the United States. He advocated for the preservation of German culture and language among German-Americans.
People
Cleetus + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Cleetus as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Cleetus: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Cleetus?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Cleetus going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about - US residents.
Is Cleetus a common name?
We classify Cleetus as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Cleetus most popular?
The single biggest year for Cleetus was 1928, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Cleetus is about 0 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Cleetus in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Cleetus a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Cleetus in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Cleetus still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Cleetus in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Cleetus can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many Americans are named Cleetus?
Want to know how many people have the name Cleetus? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.