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Home › Baby Names Directory › Claude

Claude

♂ Boy

Pronounced KLAWD /ˈklɔd/High

Meaning: French form of Latin Claudius, a great Roman clan name traditionally derived from claudus, 'lame, limping'Medium

In 30 seconds: One syllable hanging in every museum: Claude gave us Monet's water lilies and Debussy's moonlight. The Roman clan name behind it meant 'limping' — the art walks just fine.
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Origin HighFrench, Latin
MeaningFrench form of Latin Claudius, a great Roman clan name traditionally derived from claudus, 'lame, limping'
U.S. rank (2025)#3044 ↗ Rising
2025 U.S. births40 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1920
Total births (all-time)≈ 91,340

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 192018802025

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Claude is the French form of Claudius, the patrician Roman clan of emperors, traditionally derived from claudus, 'lame' — a literal nickname-origin the Claudii themselves long outshone. France made it a classic for both sexes (St. Claude, painter Claude Lorrain), and its artistic peak came with Monet and Debussy.

In English it had an early twentieth-century run and now reads gallery-vintage. Rare today, it sits poised with Jules and Felix on the French-revival shelf.

Did you know? Claude Monet and Claude Debussy — painting's and music's great impressionists — shared a first name, making Claude arguably the most impressionist syllable in history.
Overall data confidence 88%
Behind the Name — Claude — etymology

Variations

ClaudioClaudiusClaud

Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

  • ★Claude Monet (1840–1926)
    French painter whose Impression, Sunrise named the Impressionist movement.
  • ★Claude Debussy (1862–1918)
    French composer of Clair de Lune and La Mer.

If you like Claude…

Jules— a fellow French one-syllable-feel revival
Felix— the vintage continental classic already returned
Marcel— the Proustian companion of the same era
Jade— a similarly popular pick
Cam— shares Claude's Latin roots

Explore names like Claude

By themelatinfrenchvintageartistic

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Claude mean?

Claude is the French form of Roman Claudius, traditionally derived from claudus, 'lame' — a clan nickname its bearers long outshone.

How do you pronounce Claude?

It's said KLAWD /ˈklɔd/ — a single syllable.

Is Claude a boy or girl name?

In English Claude is a boy's name; France historically used it for both sexes.

How popular is Claude?

Claude is a rare vintage name in the U.S. today.

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