Clarnece
Of Old French origin meaning "illustrious, bright, clear".
Name Census estimates that about 9 living Americans carry the first name Clarnece. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Clarnece today is around 76 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Clarnece births was 1927 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Clarnece. 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 Clarnece is about 76 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Clarneces were born before 1960.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Clarnece. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
9
~ 1 in 38,083,815 Americans
Peak year
1927
7 babies that year
Average age
76
years old
1967 SSA rank
#3,617
Tracked since 1917
Popularity
Clarnece: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Clarnece from the 1910s through to the 1960s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 17 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1920s peak, Clarnece remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Clarnece 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 Clarnece 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 Clarnece
The name Clarnece originates from the Latin name Clarus, meaning "bright" or "clear." It likely emerged during the Roman Empire, when Latin names were widely used across the territories under Roman rule.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Clarnece can be found in ancient Roman texts, where it was used to refer to individuals of high social status or those who had achieved remarkable accomplishments. The name was often associated with clarity of thought, intelligence, and brilliance.
In the Middle Ages, the name Clarnece gained popularity among the nobility and upper classes in various parts of Europe. It was particularly common in regions influenced by the Roman Catholic Church, where Latin names were favored for their connection to the Church's traditions.
One notable figure who bore the name Clarnece was Clarnece of Vienne, a 12th-century French bishop and philosopher. He was renowned for his writings on theology and his contributions to the intellectual discourse of his time.
Another prominent individual named Clarnece was Clarnece of Saxony, a 16th-century German nobleman and military leader. He played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation and was known for his strategic military campaigns during the religious wars of that era.
In the 17th century, Clarnece gained popularity in England, where it was often associated with the upper echelons of society. One notable bearer of the name was Sir Clarnece Wotton, a diplomat and writer who served as an ambassador to various European courts during the reign of King James I.
As the name Clarnece spread across different cultures and regions, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Clarence, Clairence, and Clarencia. However, the core meaning and association with brightness, clarity, and distinction remained consistent throughout its history.
Other notable individuals named Clarnece include Clarnece Darrow, an American lawyer and leading member of the American Civil Liberties Union in the early 20th century, and Clarnece Thomas, a Supreme Court Justice of the United States, appointed in 1991.
People
Clarnece + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Clarnece 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
Clarnece: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Clarnece?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 9 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Clarnece 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 38,083,815 US residents.
Is Clarnece a common name?
We classify Clarnece as "Very Rare". It ranks above 25.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 43 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Clarnece most popular?
The single biggest year for Clarnece was 1927, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Clarnece is about 76 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 Clarnece in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Clarnece a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Clarnece 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 Clarnece still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Clarnece 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 Clarnece 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 called Clarnece?
See how many Americans are named Clarnece on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.