Clyne
A modern invented name combining the meanings "cluster" and "stream".
Name Census estimates that about 2 living Americans carry the first name Clyne. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Clyne today is around 80 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Clyne births was 1914 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Clyne. 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
- • The typical person named Clyne is about 80 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Clynes were born before 1956.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Clyne. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
2
~ 1 in 171,377,169 Americans
Peak year
1914
7 babies that year
Average age
80
years old
1936 SSA rank
#3,215
Tracked since 1914
Popularity
Clyne: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Clyne from the 1910s through to the 1930s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 7 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Clyne 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 Clyne during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Clyne
The name Clyne has its origins in the Gaelic language and is believed to have emerged in the medieval era, primarily in areas of Scotland and Ireland. It is thought to be derived from the Gaelic word "cluain," which translates to "meadow" or "pasture." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who resided near or worked on a meadow or pastoral land.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Clyne can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history dating back to the 15th century. The Annals mention a person named Clyne O'Mulholland, who was a prominent figure in County Down, Ireland, during the late 15th century.
In the 16th century, a Scottish family named Clyne was recorded as landowners in the region of Aberdeenshire. This family's presence in historical records indicates the name's continued use and spread throughout Scotland during this time period.
Notable individuals bearing the name Clyne throughout history include:
1. Clyne Dunbar (c. 1470-1547), a Scottish clergyman and diplomat who served as the Bishop of Aberdeen from 1518 to 1532.
2. Clyne MacGillachallum (c. 1520-1589), an Irish warrior and chieftain from the MacGillachallum clan in County Mayo, renowned for his leadership during the Gaelic resistance against English rule in the late 16th century.
3. Clyne O'Donnell (c. 1580-1647), an Irish poet and bard who composed works in the Gaelic language, commemorating the struggles of the O'Donnell clan against English colonization in Ulster.
4. Clyne Macintosh (c. 1650-1718), a Scottish Jacobite soldier who fought for the restoration of the Stuart monarchy during the Jacobite risings of the late 17th and early 18th centuries.
5. Clyne Stewart (1785-1869), a Scottish-born American educator and writer, who published several works on history and literature, including a biography of the philosopher John Locke.
While the name Clyne may have evolved in spelling and pronunciation over the centuries, its Gaelic roots and associations with pastoral landscapes and historical figures from Scotland and Ireland have endured, contributing to its rich heritage and cultural significance.
People
Clyne + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Clyne 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
Clyne: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Clyne?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Clyne 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 1 in 171,377,169 US residents.
Is Clyne a common name?
We classify Clyne as "Very Rare". It ranks above 4.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 18 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Clyne most popular?
The single biggest year for Clyne was 1914, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Clyne is about 80 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 Clyne in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Clyne a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Clyne in the SSA data are male. 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 Clyne still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Clyne 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 Clyne 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 people are named Clyne?
Find out how many people share the name Clyne on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.