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Clyda
Pronounced KLY-duh /ˈklaɪ.də/Medium
Meaning: Clyda is a feminine form of Clyde, the boys' name taken from the River Clyde in Scotland (the river's ancient name is often linked to a word for 'washing' or a river goddess). Clyda pairs the -a ending onto Clyde, as families did with Fred/Freda and Alfred/Alfreda.Low
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
Clyda is a feminine form of Clyde, a name drawn from the River Clyde in Scotland. It appears in United States records from the 1880s and had its small high in the mid-1920s, when adding an -a to a man's name to make a girl's name was in style. It was never common - given to only about two dozen girls a year - and faded by the 1960s.
A girl named Clyda at its 1920s high would be a great-great-grandmother today; the name is firmly early-twentieth-century. Two crisp beats give it an unusual, sturdy sound. It belongs to a whole vanished class of feminized men's names and has not revived.
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Clyda mean?
It is a feminine form of Clyde, a name taken from the River Clyde in Scotland.
How do you pronounce Clyda?
It's said KLY-duh /ˈklaɪ.də/, two syllables, stress on the first.
Is Clyda a boy or girl name?
Clyda is used as a girl's name.
How popular is Clyda?
It has always been rare, an early-twentieth-century name given to only about two dozen girls a year and long since faded.