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Clytie

♀ Girl

How to Pronounce Clytie

Pronounced KLY-tee /ˈklaɪ.ti/Medium

Meaning: Clytie (Greek Klytie) is the name of an Oceanid nymph in Greek mythology who loved the sun god Helios; spurned, she watched the sky until she was transformed into a heliotrope or sunflower, forever turning to face the sun. The name is related to the Greek klytos, 'famous, renowned.'Medium

In 30 seconds: Clytie comes from Greek myth, a nymph turned into a sun-following flower for her love of Helios. It appears early in United States records, peaking around 1916 (said KLY-tee).

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Origin MediumGreek

MeaningClytie (Greek Klytie) is the name of an Oceanid nymph in Greek mythology who loved the sun god Helios; spurned, she watched the sky until she was transformed into a heliotrope or sunflower, forever turning to face the sun. The name is related to the Greek klytos, 'famous, renowned.'

U.S. rank (1948)#5387 ↘ Falling

1948 U.S. births5 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1916

Total births (all-time)≈ 301

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

Clytie comes from Greek mythology, the Oceanid nymph whose unrequited love for Helios, the sun god, led to her transformation into a heliotrope. The name is related to the Greek klytos, 'famous, renowned,' and appeared as a genuine literary and classical given name in nineteenth-century America.

Clytie was never common, given to only about twenty girls a year at its early peak around 1916, and it disappeared from records by the late 1940s. It reads today as a striking, classically rooted antique choice.

Did you know? Clytie's myth explains why heliotropes and sunflowers turn to face the sun; the grieving nymph was said to have taken root and kept gazing at Helios forever.

Overall data confidence 65%

References - Clytie — Greek mythology; Oceanid nymph, Ovid's Metamorphoses

Variations

KlytieClytiaClytemnestra

Nicknames

ClyTie

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Clytie…

Daphne— another Greek nymph transformed by myth

Chloe— a like Greek nature-rooted classical name

Callisto— shares the mythological nymph theme

Helia— echoes the sun-god connection of Clytie's story

Explore names like Clytie

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Clytie mean?

It is from Greek mythology, the name of a nymph who loved the sun god Helios and was transformed into a heliotrope; it relates to the Greek klytos, 'famous.'

How do you pronounce Clytie?

It is said KLY-tee /ˈklaɪ.ti/, two syllables with the stress on the first.

Is Clytie a boy or girl name?

Clytie is used as a girl's name.

How popular is Clytie?

It has always been rare in the United States, given to only about twenty girls a year at its early peak in the mid nineteen-tens.