How Many People Are Named Cleon?

An estimated 1,380 people in the United States have the first name Cleon. It is predominantly male (94.1%). The average bearer is 56 years old, and Cleon peaked in popularity in 1921 with 86 births that year.

Below you will find a full statistical profile of Cleon as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. You can also check how many people share the full name Cleon paired with any surname.

Estimated Living Americans

1,380

About 1 in 248,373 people in the U.S.

Rarity

Rare

Very Rare Very Common

Predicted Gender

Male

94.1% confidence

Average Age

56

years old

Peak Year

1921

86 births

Total Registered

3,182

since 1880

Gender Distribution for Cleon

Cleon is predominantly male (94.1%), though 189 female births have been registered. It functions as a unisex name for a small percentage of bearers.

Male 2,993 (94.1%)
Female 189 (5.9%)

Cleon as a male name

Ranked #9,123 in 2024

8 male births in 2024

Peak: 1921 (75 births)

Cleon as a female name

Ranked #4,740 in 1942

5 female births in 1942

Peak: 1917 (11 births)

Cleon in the 2020 Census

The 2020 Census recorded 1,435 people with the first name Cleon, which placed it at #9,613 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.

Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.

Gender in the 2020 Census

In the 2020 Census, Cleon was recorded as predominantly male. Out of 1,435 people with this name in that snapshot, 96.2% were male and 3.8% were female. That is very close to the long-run birth pattern in SSA records, where the name is male 94.1% of the time.

Census Count

1,435

people with this name

Census Rank

#9,613

among Census first names

Frequency Rate

0.48

per 100,000 people

Male 1,380 (96.2%)
Female 55 (3.8%)

Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census

In the 2020 Census, the first name Cleon was most commonly recorded among people who identified as Black (53.84%). The next largest recorded groups were White (38.70%) and Two or More Races (3.00%).

These percentages describe the people who had the first name Cleon in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.

White
38.70%
Black
53.84%
Hispanic
1.81%
Asian/Pacific Islander
1.39%
American Indian/Alaska Native
1.26%
Two or More Races
3.00%

2020 Census demographic breakdown

Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Cleon.

Group Share Count
Black 53.84% 772
White 38.70% 555
Two or More Races 3.00% 43
Hispanic 1.81% 26
Asian and Pacific Islander 1.39% 20
American Indian and Alaska Native 1.26% 18

The Census published separate sex and race/origin tables for first names, so their total counts can differ slightly for the same name. That is why the race section focuses on the demographic mix rather than repeating a second headline count.

Cleon: Popularity Over Time

SSA records for Cleon span from the 1880s to the 2020s, covering 15 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1920s, when 634 babies were registered. Cleon has declined significantly from its peak in the 1920s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.

Male
Female
0 17 34 52 69 86 1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 2020

Cleon by Decade

How has Cleon tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.

Decade Total Male Female
1880s 16 16 0
1890s 23 23 0
1900s 69 59 10
1910s 401 342 59
1920s 634 565 69
1930s 496 450 46
1940s 316 311 5
1950s 257 257 0
1960s 225 225 0
1970s 323 323 0
1980s 134 134 0
1990s 123 123 0
2000s 69 69 0
2010s 62 62 0
2020s 34 34 0

Cleon by State

Birth registrations for Cleon span all 18 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in Pennsylvania, New York, Texas. The lowest are in Virginia, South Carolina, Nebraska. On average, about 22 Cleons were registered per state.

Cleon + Last Name Combinations

How many people share a full name with Cleon as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.

Cleon: Questions and Answers

How many people in the U.S. are named Cleon?

We estimate approximately 1,380 people named Cleon are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 248,373 Americans share this first name.

Is Cleon a common name?

Cleon is classified as "Rare" and is more popular than 92% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 3,182 births have been registered with this name since 1880.

When was Cleon most popular?

Cleon reached peak popularity in 1921, when 86 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Cleon is approximately 56 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.

How common was Cleon in the 2020 Census?

The 2020 Census recorded 1,435 people with the first name Cleon. That placed it at #9,613 in the published Census first-name tables, or 0.48 people per 100,000.

Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?

Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.

What does the SSA popularity chart show?

The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often Cleon was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.

What does the Census say about the gender split for Cleon?

In the 2020 Census snapshot, Cleon was recorded as predominantly male. The published split was 96.2% male and 3.8% female.

What does the Census say about the background of people named Cleon?

In the 2020 Census, the first name Cleon was most commonly recorded among people who identified as Black (53.84%). The next largest recorded groups were White (38.70%) and Two or More Races (3.00%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.

Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?

The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.

Does every first name have Census demographic data?

No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.

Is Cleon a male name?

Cleon is predominantly male. 94.1% of people with this name are male. See the gender breakdown above for full details.

Why can Cleon have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?

Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. Cleon peaked in 1921, and the average living bearer is about 56 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.

How many Cleon Smiths are there?

To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Cleon Smith, Cleon Johnson, Cleon Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.

Where does this data come from?

Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.

Search for a full name combination