Boy name · Latin
Clement
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: merciful, gentleClement is a boy's name that comes from Latin and means "merciful, gentle". It is used in English and French.
- Meaning
- Merciful, gentle
- Origin
- Latin
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #2262 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Clement
As a boy's name, Clement comes from Latin and means "merciful, gentle". It is used in English and French. In French it is spelled Clément.
In French, say klay-MAHN. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Clement is also a surname: the 1,533rd most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 22,799 people. See the most common last names.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Clement on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Clement on 5 lists.
“Merciful, gentle; Latin. Fourteen popes”
From Classic boy names, traditional Latin and Greek boy names
“Latin for merciful and gentle”
From Priest names, priestly names from Latin, Greek and Hebrew
“Merciful, gentle; Latin. Say klay-MAHN”
From French boy names, french saints' names for boys
“Merciful, gentle; Latin. Clem for short”
From Old man names, distinguished old man names
“Merciful, gentle; Latin, borne by several popes”
From Unique boy names, unique vintage boy names
How popular is Clement?
- US rank in 2025
- #2,262
- 62 babies, 36 per million boys
- Best rank
- #267 in 1912
- Most babies: 344 in 1918
- Babies since 1880
- At least 14,167
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 221 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 278 per million |
| 1900s | 326 per million |
| 1910s | 349 per million |
| 1920s | 258 per million |
| 1930s | 175 per million |
| 1940s | 105 per million |
| 1950s | 63 per million |
| 1960s | 41 per million |
| 1970s | 30 per million |
| 1980s | 24 per million |
| 1990s | 20 per million |
| 2000s | 20 per million |
| 2010s | 24 per million |
| 2020s | 34 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,441 | #2,324 | #2,807 | #2,630 | #2,591 | #2,305 | #2,496 | #2,395 | #2,213 | #2,262 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Other forms of Clement
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- ClemensMerciful (Latin, boy)
- ClementeMerciful, gentle (Latin, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
- ClementinaMerciful, gentle (Latin, girl)
- KevinGentle birth (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- ClemenceMerciful, gentle (Latin, girl)
- ClementineMerciful, gentle (Latin, girl)
- YuJade or rain in Chinese; gentle in Japanese (Chinese and Japanese, unisex)
- AbdullatifServant of the Gentle (Arabic, boy)
- AbdulrahmanServant of the Most Merciful (Arabic, boy)
- AdelindeNoble and gentle (Germanic, girl)
- CaoimheGentle, beautiful (Irish Gaelic, girl)
- CaoimhínGentle birth (Irish Gaelic, boy)
Middle names for Clement
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from Latin
Clement: common questions
What does the name Clement mean?
Clement comes from Latin and means "merciful, gentle".
Is Clement a boy or girl name?
Clement is mainly a boy's name.
Where does the name Clement come from?
Clement comes from Latin and means "merciful, gentle". Today it is used in English and French.
How popular is the name Clement?
Clement ranked #2,262 in the US in 2025, with 62 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Clement?
Forms of Clement with the same meaning and origin include Clemens (German) and Clemente (Italian).
What middle names go with Clement?
Middle names that flow well with Clement include Dean, Eli, Ezra, Ford and John. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.