Clenard
An invented name possibly deriving from Celtic elements meaning "hardy" and "defender."
Name Census estimates that about 11 living Americans carry the first name Clenard. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Clenard today is around 75 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Clenard births was 1918 (11 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Clenard. 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 Clenard is about 75 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Clenards were born before 1961.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Clenard. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
11
~ 1 in 31,159,485 Americans
Peak year
1918
11 babies that year
Average age
75
years old
1958 SSA rank
#3,607
Tracked since 1918
Popularity
Clenard: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Clenard from the 1910s through to the 1950s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 11 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1920s peak, Clenard remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Clenard 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 Clenard during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Clenards live
Origin
Meaning and history of Clenard
The name Clenard is an interesting and unusual one with a rich history. Its origins can be traced back to the French language, where it is a variant of the name Clénard, which is derived from the Latin word "clarus," meaning "bright" or "clear." This suggests that the name may have been given to individuals who had a bright or radiant personality or appearance.
One of the earliest recorded bearers of this name was Clenard or Nicolas Cleynaerts, a 16th-century Flemish scholar and traveler who was born in 1495. He is best known for his contributions to the study of Hebrew and Arabic languages, as well as his travels to various countries in the Middle East and North Africa.
Another notable figure with this name was Clenard Eli Houghton, an American businessman and politician who lived from 1873 to 1919. He served as a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing the state of New York from 1909 to 1913.
In the realm of literature, there was Clenard Joseph Pickett, an American author and editor born in 1900. He is best known for his work as the editor of the magazine "The Freeman" and for his contributions to the libertarian movement.
Moving to the world of sports, there was Clenard Foster, an American professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) during the 1970s and 1980s. He was born in 1951 and played for teams such as the Los Angeles Lakers and the Utah Jazz.
Finally, in the field of music, there was Clenard Philip Jones, an American jazz drummer and bandleader who was born in 1914 and passed away in 1976. He was known for his innovative drumming style and for leading his own jazz ensemble, the Clenard Philip Jones Quartet.
While the name Clenard may not be as common as some other names, its rich history and varied bearers across different fields and time periods make it a fascinating and unique name to explore.
People
Clenard + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Clenard 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
Clenard: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Clenard?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Clenard 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 31,159,485 US residents.
Is Clenard a common name?
We classify Clenard as "Very Rare". It ranks above 30.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 38 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Clenard most popular?
The single biggest year for Clenard was 1918, when 11 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Clenard is about 75 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 Clenard in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Clenard a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Clenard 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 Clenard still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Clenard 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 Clenard 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 Clenard?
Find out how many people have the name Clenard on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.