Clarence

Latin
"bright"

Clarence Origin and Meaning

The name Clarence is a boy's name of Latin origin meaning "bright".

The name of the guardian angel in It's a Wonderful Life is rarely heard the rest of the year because of its studious, near-nerdy image, but this could change in the current naming climate.

An English peerage title, Clarence enjoyed great popularity at the turn of the last century, reaching as high as Number 18 in 1900, and staying on the list until 2010. It has two prominent legal bearers--Clarence Darrow, defense attorney at the Scopes Trial, and current Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. We can thank Clarence Birdseye for the invention of frozen food. Aretha Franklin and Louis Armstrong both named their sons Clarence.

# 983 in the US

Clarence Rank in US Top 1000

# 640 on Nameberry

Clarence Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

Clarence Popularity

Famous People Named Clarence

  • Clarence Charles "Ducky" Nash
    American voice actor of Donald Duck
  • Clarence Thomas
    United States Supreme Court justice
  • Clarence "Clancy' Brown
    American actor
  • Clarence Darnell Gilyard
    Jr., American actor
  • Clarence Anicholas Clemons
    American saxophonist (E Street Band)
  • Clarence Seward Darrow
    American trial lawyer
  • Clarence Edmonds Hemingway
    American physician, father of novelist Ernest Hemingway
  • Clarence 13X (born Clarence Edward Smith)
    American Islamic leader
  • Clarence Clyde Seedorf
    Dutch footballer
  • Clarence Lester "Biggie" Munn
    American college football coach
  • Robert Clarence "Bob" Irwin
    Australian TV personality and son of the late "Crocodile Hunter," Steve Irwin

Clarence in Pop Culture

  • Clarence Oddbody
    angel in movie "It's a Wonderful Life"
  • Clarence
    character in the game Penumbra: Black Plague
  • Clarence Boddicker
    character in movie "Robocop"
  • "Clarence
    " animated series and main character
  • Clarence Threepwood
    Earl of Emsworth, character in P. G. Wodehouse's Blandings Series