Cloudie
A feminine name signifying someone as free-spirited, light and airy.
Name Census estimates that about 2 living Americans carry the first name Cloudie. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 62.5% of registrations being male. The average person named Cloudie today is around 86 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Cloudie births was 1917 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Cloudie. 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 Cloudie is about 86 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Cloudies were born before 1950.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Cloudie. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
2
~ 1 in 171,377,169 Americans
Peak year
1917
6 babies that year
Average age
86
years old
1939 SSA rank
#3,580
Tracked since 1917
Gender
Gender distribution for Cloudie
Cloudie is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 16 total registrations, 10 (62.5%) were male and 6 (37.5%) were female.
Cloudie as a male name
- Ranked #3,580 in 1939
- 5 male births in 1939
- Peak: 1923 (5 births)
Cloudie as a female name
- Ranked #4,198 in 1917
- 6 female births in 1917
- Peak: 1917 (6 births)
Popularity
Cloudie: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Cloudie from the 1910s through to the 1930s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 6 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Cloudie 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 Cloudie 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 Cloudie
The name Cloudie has its origins in the English language, emerging during the late 16th century. It is derived from the Old English word "clud," which means "mass of vapor" or "cloud." This name was likely given to individuals born on cloudy days or those who exhibited a serene and dreamy temperament akin to the gentle movements of clouds.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cloudie can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Warwickshire, England, where a child named Cloudie Smythe was baptized in 1592. The name gained some popularity among the rural communities of England during this period, particularly in the countryside where people had a closer connection to nature and the elements.
In the 17th century, the name Cloudie made its way into literary works. The English poet John Donne mentioned a character named Cloudie in his poem "The Calme" (1633), where he likened her to the tranquil beauty of a serene sky. This poetic reference helped to further solidify the name's association with the natural world and its atmospheric qualities.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Cloudie. One such figure was Cloudie Williamson (1670-1734), a Scottish landowner and philanthropist who funded the construction of several schools and libraries in her native Aberdeenshire. Another was Cloudie Burroughs (1785-1862), an American frontiersman and trapper who explored the Rocky Mountains and authored memoirs about his adventures in the wilderness.
In the 19th century, the name gained some traction in the United States, particularly in rural areas. Cloudie Loughridge (1822-1890) was a pioneer woman who traveled across the Oregon Trail and became one of the first female settlers in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. Cloudie Culbertson (1849-1928) was a renowned educator and advocate for women's rights, founding several schools and colleges in the Midwest.
The name Cloudie also found its way into the literary world again in the 20th century. Cloudie Stanton was a character in the novel "The Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck, published in 1939. She was portrayed as a young woman with a gentle and dreamy nature, embodying the poetic qualities associated with the name.
While the name Cloudie may not be as common today as it once was, it has left a lasting impression on history, particularly in its connection to the natural world and its representation of a serene and whimsical spirit.
People
Cloudie + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Cloudie 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
Cloudie: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Cloudie?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Cloudie 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 171,377,169 US residents.
Is Cloudie a common name?
We classify Cloudie as "Very Rare". It ranks above 4.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 16 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Cloudie most popular?
The single biggest year for Cloudie was 1917, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Cloudie is about 86 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 Cloudie in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Cloudie a male name?
Yes, 62.5% of people registered as Cloudie 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 Cloudie still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Cloudie 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 Cloudie 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 Cloudie?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans are named Cloudie at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.