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Home › Baby Names Directory › Clinton

Clinton

♂ Boy

Pronounced KLIHN-tuhn /ˈklɪn.tən/Medium

Meaning: Settlement on the River GlymeMedium

In 30 seconds: Clinton is an English place-derived name meaning 'settlement on the River Glyme'.
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Origin MediumEnglish
MeaningSettlement on the River Glyme
U.S. rank (2025)#1732 ↗ Rising
2025 U.S. births94 boys (0.01% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1981
Total births (all-time)≈ 97,567

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 198118802025

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

Clinton began as an English place name and surname meaning a settlement on the River Glyme. It passed from locality to family name and then into use as a given name. The meaning keeps it tied to a specific English landscape.

Bearers include physicist Clinton Davisson (1881-1958), a Nobel laureate, and Clinton Hill (born 1980). The name's three syllables and '-ton' ending mark it as a classic English surname-name.

Did you know? Clinton likely reached first-name use through a surname or place-name route, which gives it that modern borrowed-from-history feel.
Overall data confidence 78%
Behind the Name - Clinton — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

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Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

  • ★Clinton Davisson (1881–1958)
    Recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1937.
  • ★Clinton Hill (1980–present)
    Male public figure listed on Behind the Name.

If you like Clinton…

Clint— the natural short form drawn straight from Clinton
Preston— a fellow English place-name with a '-ton' settlement ending
Ashton— shares the '-ton' settlement element from English place names
Carlton— another English '-ton' surname-name with a similar feel

Explore names like Clinton

By themeenglishsurname-style
By meaningSea / Water

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Clinton mean?

Clinton is usually explained as meaning 'settlement on the River Glyme' and is most often linked with English tradition.

How do you pronounce Clinton?

It's commonly said KLIHN-tuhn /ˈklɪn.tən/.

Is Clinton a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Clinton is used as a boy name.

How popular is Clinton?

In 2024, Clinton ranked #1933 in the U.S. for boys, with 81 births recorded.

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