UK boy's name
Clyde
A masculine name of Scottish origin meaning "from the valley with the river".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Clyde is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Clyde popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3688, with 5 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2004, with 11 births.
This profile covers 150 England and Wales registrations across 26 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, 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 45% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 179 living people in the UK are called Clyde. 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 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Clyde ranked #3688 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 5 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2004, when 11 boys were registered as Clyde.
- • Clyde ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #727 in 2024.
- • About 179 living people in the UK are estimated to have Clyde as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3688
2024
Births in 2024
5
Latest year
Peak year
2004
11 births
Estimated living
179
2026
Meaning
What does Clyde mean?
The given name Clyde originated from the Scottish Gaelic language. It derives from the Celtic word "cluain" which translates to "good pasture" or "green meadow." The name was initially used as a place name, referring to the River Clyde that runs through central Scotland.
Clyde was initially adopted as a given name in Scotland during the medieval period. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name dates back to the 12th century, when a man named Clyde was mentioned in the Chartulary of Moray, a medieval Scottish cartulary.
In ancient Scottish folklore, the name Clyde is associated with a mythical figure known as the "Elk of Clyde." According to legend, this massive elk roamed the banks of the River Clyde and was eventually slain by a famous Scottish warrior.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Clyde. One of the most famous was Clyde Tombaugh (1906-1997), an American astronomer who discovered the dwarf planet Pluto in 1930. Another prominent Clyde was Clyde Fitch (1865-1909), an American playwright and dramatist renowned for his works in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
In the world of sports, Clyde Drexler (born 1962) was a former professional basketball player who won an NBA championship with the Houston Rockets in 1995. Clyde Beatty (1903-1965) was an American animal trainer and circus performer, best known for his act with lions and tigers.
Clyde W. Tombaugh (1906-1997), an American astronomer and discoverer of the dwarf planet Pluto, is another notable bearer of the name. His groundbreaking discovery in 1930 led to a significant advancement in our understanding of the solar system.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Clyde over time
The chart below shows babies named Clyde registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Clyde, the clearest high point is 2004. The latest England and Wales figure is 5 births in 2024, compared with 11 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Clyde by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Clyde 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #3327 | 28 | 5 |
| 2010s | #3202 | 59 | 10 |
| 2000s | #2579 | 48 | 8 |
| 1990s | #2072 | 15 | 3 |
Geography
Where Clyde is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Clyde. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Clyde ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #727 in 2024.
Across the UK
Clyde in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#727 in 2024
9 years of NRS records, 30 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Clyde
-
Clyde Markwell
architect
British architect
2000-
-
Clyde Gembickas
acrobatic gymnast
2000-
-
Clyde Vaughan
basketball player; basketball coach
College basketball player and coach
1962-
-
Clyde Best
association football player; association football coach
Bermudian footballer
1951-
-
Clyde Hopkins
painter
British painter (1946–2018)
1946-2018
-
Clyde Holmes
painter
British painter (1940-2008)
1940-2008
-
Clyde Williams
university teacher; sports scientist
British sports scientist
1940-
-
Clyde Binfield
historian
British historian
1940-
Related
Names similar to Clyde
- 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
Clyde: questions and answers
How popular is the name Clyde in the UK right now?
In 2024, Clyde was ranked #3688 for boys in England and Wales, with 5 births registered.
When was Clyde most popular?
The peak year on record was 2004, with 11 babies registered as Clyde in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Clyde?
A masculine name of Scottish origin meaning "from the valley with the river".
How many people are called Clyde in the UK?
A total of 150 babies have been registered as Clyde across the 26 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 30 more in Scotland.
Where is Clyde most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Clyde ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #727 in 2024. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
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.