Clinten
Of Old English origin, meaning "enclosure near a hill".
Name Census estimates that about 88 living Americans carry the first name Clinten. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Clinten today is around 44 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Clinten births was 1977 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Clinten. 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 Clinten. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
88
~ 1 in 3,894,936 Americans
Peak year
1977
10 babies that year
Average age
44
years old
1994 SSA rank
#9,037
Tracked since 1969
Popularity
Clinten: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Clinten from the 1960s through to the 1990s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 36 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1980s peak, Clinten remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Clinten 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 Clinten 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 Clinten
The given name Clinten is believed to have its origins in the Old English language, derived from the word "clint," which referred to a steep rocky cliff or precipice. This suggests that the name may have originally been associated with individuals living in or near areas with rugged, cliffy terrain.
During the Anglo-Saxon period in Britain, around the 5th to 11th centuries, the name Clinten or variations like Clint or Clintone were likely used as surnames or descriptive names referring to one's place of residence or occupation. It's possible that these names were later adopted as given names over time.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Clinten can be found in the Domesday Book, a great survey of land and property commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This historical document mentions a landowner named "Clintone" in the county of Warwickshire, England.
In the 12th century, a notable figure named Clinten de Peyto was recorded as a knight and landowner in Warwickshire. He was involved in several military campaigns during the reign of King Henry II.
During the Renaissance period, a Italian humanist scholar and poet named Clinten Marulli (1437-1503) gained recognition for his Latin works and contributions to the study of classical literature.
In the 16th century, a Spanish explorer named Clinten de Quesada (1509-1579) was known for his expeditions and conquests in present-day Colombia, where he established the city of Santa Fe de Bogotá.
In the 18th century, a French philosopher and mathematician named Clinten de Condorcet (1743-1794) made significant contributions to the fields of political theory, social reform, and the advancement of human rights.
While the name Clinten has had a relatively low prevalence throughout history, it has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, reflecting the enduring legacy of this ancient name rooted in the rugged landscapes of old England.
People
Clinten + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Clinten 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
Clinten: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Clinten?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 88 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Clinten 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 3,894,936 US residents.
Is Clinten a common name?
We classify Clinten as "Very Rare". It ranks above 62.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 93 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Clinten most popular?
The single biggest year for Clinten was 1977, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Clinten is about 44 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Clinten a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Clinten 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.
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.