Clarince
Of French origin meaning "bright, famous, or brilliant one".
Name Census estimates that about 1 living Americans carry the first name Clarince. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Clarince today is around 65 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Clarince births was 1930 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Clarince. 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 Clarince. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
1
~ 1 in 342,754,338 Americans
Peak year
1930
7 babies that year
Average age
65
years old
1930 SSA rank
#3,341
Tracked since 1924
Popularity
Clarince: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Clarince from the 1920s through to the 1930s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1930s, 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
Clarince 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 Clarince 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 Clarince
The given name Clarince has its origins in the Latin language and is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Latin word "clarentia," which means "brightness" or "clarity." This name was likely chosen for its positive connotations and association with light and clarity.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Clarince can be traced back to the 12th century, where it was mentioned in a manuscript from a monastery in northern Italy. This suggests that the name may have been used among religious communities during that time period.
In the 13th century, a notable historical figure named Clarince of Verona was documented as a scholar and philosopher. He is known for his writings on ethics and moral philosophy, which were influential during the medieval period.
During the Renaissance, the name Clarince gained popularity among the nobility and upper classes. One notable figure was Clarince Medici, a wealthy patron of the arts and member of the powerful Medici family in Florence, Italy, born in 1475.
In the 17th century, a French writer and poet named Clarince Descartes was renowned for her poetic works and contributions to the literary world. She was born in 1620 and her writings often explored themes of love, nature, and the human condition.
Another significant figure was Clarince von Humboldt, a German philosopher and linguist born in 1767. He made important contributions to the study of language and cultural anthropology, and his work laid the foundation for modern linguistic theory.
As the name Clarince spread across Europe, it also found its way to other regions, including the British Isles. In the 19th century, a Scottish artist named Clarince MacDonald, born in 1825, gained recognition for his landscape paintings depicting the beautiful Scottish Highlands.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who have carried the name Clarince. While the name has roots in Latin and was particularly popular during the Middle Ages and Renaissance, it has been used across various cultures and regions over the centuries.
People
Clarince + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Clarince 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
Clarince: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Clarince?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Clarince 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 342,754,338 US residents.
Is Clarince a common name?
We classify Clarince as "Very Rare". It ranks above 3.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 12 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Clarince most popular?
The single biggest year for Clarince was 1930, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Clarince is about 65 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 Clarince in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Clarince a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Clarince 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 Clarince still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Clarince 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 Clarince 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 have Clarince as a first name?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans are named Clarince at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.