Cleda

♀ Girl

How to Pronounce Cleda

Pronounced KLEE-duh /ˈkli.də/Medium

Meaning: Cleda is a rare early-twentieth-century American girl's name of uncertain origin. It is plausibly linked to Cleta or the Cleo- family, from the Greek kleos, 'glory, fame', but no firm etymology is documented; it may also be a regional coinage.Low

In 30 seconds: Cleda is a rare early-1900s American girl's name, perhaps tied to Cleo ('glory'). Its origin is uncertain and its quiet peak came around 1917.

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Origin LowGreek, English

MeaningCleda is a rare early-twentieth-century American girl's name of uncertain origin. It is plausibly linked to Cleta or the Cleo- family, from the Greek kleos, 'glory, fame', but no firm etymology is documented; it may also be a regional coinage.

U.S. rank (1965)#5929 ↗ Rising

1965 U.S. births6 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1917

Total births (all-time)≈ 1,392

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

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

Cleda is an uncommon American girl's name from the early twentieth century, with no well-documented origin. Its shape suggests a link to Cleta or the Cleo- names, from the Greek kleos meaning 'glory' or 'fame', but this is a reasonable guess rather than an established etymology. It may also have arisen as a family or regional coinage of its era.

Cleda drew only a small number of girls a year and peaked around 1917, firmly in the early-1900s vintage band, before fading by mid-century. With so little to trace, its origin is flagged as uncertain. A Cleda from that peak would be well over a century old today.

Did you know? If Cleda does belong to the Cleo family, it shares the Greek root kleos, 'glory' — the same element behind Cleopatra and Cleon.

Overall data confidence 45%

References — Cleda — rare early-1900s name; possibly Cleta/Cleo; origin uncertainU.S. Social Security Administration — popularity counts 1880–present

Variations

CletaCleida

Nicknames

CleoDee

Famous Bearers

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If you like Cleda…

Cleta— the closest likely relative in sound and root

Cleo— the Greek 'glory' family it may belong to

Reda— shares the two-beat -eda vintage sound

Veda— another short early-1900s -eda name

Explore names like Cleda

By themeuncertain vintage greek

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Cleda mean?

Cleda is a rare early-twentieth-century name of uncertain origin, possibly linked to Cleo, from the Greek for 'glory'.

How do you pronounce Cleda?

It's said KLEE-duh /ˈkli.də/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Cleda a boy or girl name?

Cleda is used as a girl's name.

How popular is Cleda?

Cleda is very rare; it saw its modest use in the early nineteen-hundreds and faded by mid-century.