Clessie
A feminine name derived from the Greek name Chloe, meaning "young green shoot".
Name Census estimates that about 3 living Americans carry the first name Clessie. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Clessie today is around 110 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Clessie births was 1920 (12 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Clessie. 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 Clessie is about 110 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Clessies were born before 1926.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Clessie. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
3
~ 1 in 114,251,446 Americans
Peak year
1920
12 babies that year
Average age
110
years old
1935 SSA rank
#3,830
Tracked since 1903
Popularity
Clessie: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Clessie from the 1900s through to the 1930s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 71 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Clessie 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 Clessie 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 Clessie
The name Clessie originates from the English language and is believed to have roots dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to be a variant or diminutive form of the name Clarissa, which itself is derived from the Latin name Clarissius, meaning "bright" or "famous."
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Clessie can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, England, where a Clessie Browne was christened in 1573. This suggests that the name was in use, at least regionally, during the late 16th century.
In terms of historical references, the name does not appear to have any significant mentions in ancient texts, religious scriptures, or major historical records. However, several notable individuals have borne the name Clessie throughout history.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name was Clessie Cravens (1884-1941), an American baseball player who played in the Major Leagues for the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs in the early 20th century. Another early example is Clessie L. Shelton (1888-1967), an American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Missouri in the 1920s.
In the realm of literature, Clessie Herring (1904-1984) was an American author and poet who published several works, including the poetry collection "The Pasture" in 1933. Clessie Hart (1913-2005) was an American botanist and professor at the University of California, Berkeley, known for her significant contributions to the study of plant taxonomy.
One of the most notable individuals with the name Clessie was Clessie Cummins (1888-1968), an American inventor and entrepreneur who founded the Cummins Engine Company in 1919. His groundbreaking innovations in diesel engine design and manufacturing had a profound impact on the automotive and transportation industries.
While the name Clessie may not have been widely popular throughout history, it has been borne by a diverse range of individuals across various fields, from sports and politics to literature and science. These examples serve as a testament to the enduring legacy of this distinctive English name.
People
Clessie + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Clessie 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
Clessie: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Clessie?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 3 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Clessie 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 114,251,446 US residents.
Is Clessie a common name?
We classify Clessie as "Very Rare". It ranks above 4.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 140 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Clessie most popular?
The single biggest year for Clessie was 1920, when 12 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Clessie is about 110 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 Clessie in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Clessie a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Clessie 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.
Is Clessie still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Clessie 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 Clessie 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 Clessie?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.