Cletus

Cletus: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning: “called forth; chosen”
Origin: Greek
Say it: KLEE-tus · 2 syllables
Used for: Boys (96% of all uses)

From Greek Kleitos or a related form from kleos 'glory' or the verb kalein 'to call'; the exact derivation is debated. It is best known from Saint Cletus, an early pope.

Greek names English names Classic names

How popular is Cletus?

20241.8 per million US babies

Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Compare with another name

Babies named Cletus in 20246

Peak year1922

Total US babies since 18807,698

Cletus is steady now but far below its 1922 peak.

Names like Cletus

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

Theodoregift of God · Greek
Sebastianfrom Sebaste · Greek
Alexanderdefender of men · Greek
Lukefrom Lucania · Greek
Christopherbearer of Christ · Greek
Andrewmanly, brave · Greek
Theogod · Greek
Georgefarmer, earth-worker · Greek

Cletus questions

What does the name Cletus mean?

Cletus means "called forth; chosen". It comes from Greek. From Greek Kleitos or a related form from kleos 'glory' or the verb kalein 'to call'; the exact derivation is debated. It is best known from Saint Cletus, an early pope.

Is Cletus a boy or girl name?

Cletus is mainly a boy's name in US records (97% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Cletus?

6 US babies were named Cletus in 2024. Its peak year was 1922.

How do you pronounce Cletus?

Cletus is usually pronounced KLEE-tus.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.