Clary
A feminine name derived from the Latin word "clarus" meaning "bright" or "clear".
Name Census estimates that about 317 living Americans carry the first name Clary. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 63.0% of registrations being female. The average person named Clary today is around 36 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Clary births was 1923 (20 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Clary. 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.
People living today
317
~ 1 in 1,081,244 Americans
Peak year
1923
20 babies that year
Average age
36
years old
1982 SSA rank
#6,541
Tracked since 1915
Gender
Gender distribution for Clary
Clary is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 479 total registrations, 177 (37.0%) were male and 302 (63.0%) were female.
Clary as a male name
- Ranked #6,541 in 1982
- 5 male births in 1982
- Peak: 1943 (15 births)
Clary as a female name
- Ranked #7,648 in 2024
- 14 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2017 (18 births)
Popularity
Clary: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Clary from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 11 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 100 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Clary remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Clary 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 Clary during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Clarys live
Origin
Meaning and history of Clary
The name Clary originated from the Latin word "clarus," meaning "clear" or "bright." It is believed to have been derived from the name of a Roman family, the "Clarii," who were prominent during the early days of the Roman Empire. The name's earliest recorded use dates back to the 1st century AD, when it was commonly used as a masculine name among the Roman aristocracy.
During the Middle Ages, the name Clary became popular in France, where it was often spelled as "Claire" or "Clare." One of the most notable historical figures to bear this name was St. Clare of Assisi (1194-1253), the founder of the Order of Poor Ladies, also known as the Poor Clares. Her devotion to a life of poverty and service to the poor helped popularize the name among Christians throughout Europe.
In the 13th century, the name Clary was also associated with the Clary Sage plant, known for its distinctive aroma and medicinal properties. This association likely contributed to the name's popularity among herbalists and apothecaries during the Renaissance period.
Among the famous individuals who bore the name Clary throughout history are Clary Delorto (1653-1728), a French painter and engraver known for her portraits and religious scenes. Another notable figure was Clary Aldringen (1588-1647), an Austrian field marshal who fought in the Thirty Years' War and was known for his military strategies.
In the 19th century, the name Clary gained popularity in England, where it was often used as a feminized version of the masculine name Clarence. One of the most famous bearers of this name was Clary Fagan (1815-1894), an Irish-American actress and comedian who was a prominent figure in the early American theater scene.
Another historical figure of note was Clary von Riaucour (1876-1961), a German writer and activist who was involved in the women's suffrage movement and fought for equal rights for women in Germany.
Throughout its long history, the name Clary has been associated with brightness, clarity, and a connection to nature, reflecting its Latin roots and the Clary Sage plant. While its popularity has waxed and waned over the centuries, it has remained a unique and distinctive name with a rich cultural heritage.
People
Clary + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Clary 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
Clary: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Clary?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 317 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Clary 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 1,081,244 US residents.
Is Clary a common name?
We classify Clary as "Very Rare". It ranks above 79.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 479 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Clary most popular?
The single biggest year for Clary was 1923, when 20 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Clary is about 36 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Clary a female name?
Yes, 63.0% of people registered as Clary 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.
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.