UK boy's name
Clovis
A masculine name of French origin meaning "having a glorious reputation".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2017. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Clovis is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Clovis popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2017 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3996, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2008, with 4 births.
This profile covers 12 England and Wales registrations across 3 recorded years from 2008 to 2017. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 100% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 12 living people in the UK are called Clovis. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2018 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Clovis ranked #3996 for boys in England and Wales in 2017, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2008, when 4 boys were registered as Clovis.
- • About 12 living people in the UK are estimated to have Clovis as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3996
2017
Births in 2017
4
Latest year
Peak year
2008
4 births
Estimated living
12
2026
Meaning
What does Clovis mean?
The name Clovis has its origins in the Germanic languages, specifically from the Frankish Chlodovech, derived from the elements hlud meaning "famous" and wig meaning "combat" or "warrior". It emerged around the 5th century AD, during the time of the Merovingian dynasty in what is now France.
One of the earliest and most notable bearers of the name was Clovis I, also known as Clovis the Frank or Clovis the Great (c. 466–511 AD). He was the first king of the Franks to unite all Frankish tribes under one ruler, laying the foundations for the later Kingdom of France. Clovis is credited with converting to Catholic Christianity, further influencing the spread of the religion in Western Europe.
The name gained popularity and prominence due to its association with Clovis I. Throughout the Middle Ages and the Renaissance period, it was frequently used among the nobility and ruling classes of Europe, particularly in France and the Holy Roman Empire.
Another notable figure named Clovis was Clovis III (c. 675–695 AD), a Merovingian king of the Franks who ruled from 690 to 695 AD. Although his reign was relatively short and uneventful, he continued the dynastic line of Merovingian kings.
In the 9th century, Clovis II (c. 634–657 AD) was a Merovingian king of Neustria and Burgundy, ruling from 639 to 657 AD. He is known for his efforts to consolidate power and strengthen the Frankish kingdom during a period of political instability.
During the 16th century, Clovis Hesteau (c. 1494–1572) was a French Renaissance philosopher and humanist scholar, renowned for his contributions to the study of ancient Greek and Roman literature.
In more recent times, Clovis Trouille (1889–1975) was a French artist and painter known for his landscape and still life works, particularly those depicting scenes from his native Provence region.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Clovis over time
The chart below shows babies named Clovis registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2008 to 2017. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Clovis, the clearest high point is 2008. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2017, compared with 4 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Clovis by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Clovis was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | #3931 | 8 | 2 |
| 2000s | #3687 | 4 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Clovis
- Charlie 104,761
- Callum 65,796
- Connor 53,072
- Cameron 40,394
- Charles 33,091
- Christopher 26,849
- Caleb 15,553
- Corey 12,622
- Carter 11,505
- Cody 11,075
- Conor 10,298
- Christian 9,695
FAQ
Clovis: questions and answers
How popular is the name Clovis in the UK right now?
In 2017, Clovis was ranked #3996 for boys in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Clovis most popular?
The peak year on record was 2008, with 4 babies registered as Clovis in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Clovis?
A masculine name of French origin meaning "having a glorious reputation".
How many people are called Clovis in the UK?
A total of 12 babies have been registered as Clovis across the 3 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.