Clementine

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Clementine

Gender: Feminine
Language: English, French
Etymology:
Clementine is a French form of Clementina, the feminine form of Clementinus, a name meaning “of Clement,” or “like Clementius.” Clement is the English and French form of a Latin name, Clementius, which meant “Meek” or “Merciful.”

History:
During the Middle Ages, the most common feminine form of Clement was Clementia, often appearing as Clemency, or Clemence in medieval France and England.

Clemence had died out by the 1600s. When Clement was revived in the 19th century, the new feminine form, taken from French, became Clementine. Clementine was a fairly common name in 19th century United States.

Since the early 20th century, the name Clementine has been made famous by the American campfire song “Oh My Darling, Clementine,” written in 1884 by Percy Montrose and based on an 1863 song “Down by the River Liv’d a Maiden” by H.S. Thompson.

Pronunciation: clem-enn-tine.

Diminutives:
English: Clemmie, Clemmy.

Alternates: Clemence, Clemencia, Clemency, Clementia, Clememtina.
French: Clémence.
Polish: Klementyna.

Masculine: Clement.

Famous Bearers:
Artists and Authors:
Clementine Hunter (1886-1988)
American artist.

Fictional Characters:
Darling Clementine
She is lost and gone forever.

Miscellaneous:
Clementine Ogilvy Spencer-Churchill (1885-1977)
Wife of Sir Winston Churchill.

Popularity:
Percentage from the 1990 U.S. Census:
0.005 % of females forenamed Clementine
0.002 % of females forenamed Clementina
0.002 % of females named Clemmie
0.001 % of females named Clemencia

Popularity of Clementine:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1850: 268th most popular.
1875: 358th most popular.
1880: 375th most popular.
1881: 740th most popular.
1882: 360th most popular.
1883: 480th most popular.
1884: 520th most popular.
1885: 380th most popular.
1886: 416th most popular.
1887: 560th most popular.
1888: 458th most popular.
1889: 543rd most popular.
1890: 384th most popular.
1891: 572nd most popular.
1892: 480th most popular.
1893: 547th most popular.
1894: 476th most popular.
1895: 658th most popular.
1896: 651st most popular.
1897: 477th most popular.
1898: 544th most popular.
1899: 498th most popular.
1900: 656th most popular.
1901: 559th most popular.
1902: 445th most popular.
1903: 503rd most popular.
1904: 682nd most popular.
1905: 564th most popular.
1906: 642nd most popular.
1907: 613th most popular.
1908: 506th most popular.
1909: 550th most popular.
1910: 480th most popular.
1911: 444th most popular.
1912: 535th most popular.
1913: 565th most popular.
1914: 492nd most popular.
1915: 561st most popular.
1916: 541st most popular.
1917: 548th most popular.
1918: 590th most popular.
1919: 584th most popular.
1920: 661st most popular.
1921: 569th most popular.
1922: 605th most popular.
1923: 627th most popular.
1924: 612th most popular.
1925: 640th most popular.
1926: 697th most popular.
1927: 652nd most popular.
1928: 678th most popular.
1929: 644th most popular.
1930: 710th most popular.
1931: 618th most popular.
1932: 684th most popular.
1933: 680th most popular.
1934: 733rd most popular.
1935: 714th most popular.
1936: 637th most popular.
1937: 679th most popular.
1938: 802nd most popular.
1939: 663rd most popular.
1940: 675th most popular.
1941: 766th most popular.
1942: 785th most popular.
1943: 703rd most popular.
1944: 847th most popular.
1945: 875th most popular.
1946: 925th most popular.
1947: 955th most popular.
1948: 894th most popular.
1949: 938th most popular.
1950: 743rd most popular.
1951: 816th most popular.
1952: 919th most popular.
1953: 944th most popular.
1954-2004: N/A

In France...
1900: 73rd most popular.
1910: 98th most popular.
1920: 124th most popular.
1928: 182nd most popular.
1930-1980: N/A
1981: 199th most popular.
1990: 90th most popular.
2000: 87th most popular.

Popularity of Clemmie:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1880: 492nd most popular.
1881: 623rd most popular.
1882: 458th most popular.
1883: 536th most popular.
1884: 425th most popular.
1885: 629th most popular.
1886: 476th most popular.
1887: 734th most popular.
1888: 533rd most popular.
1889: 543rd most popular.
1890: 548th most popular.
1891: 589th most popular.
1892: 434th most popular.
1893: 613th most popular.
1894: 568th most popular.
1895: 622nd most popular.
1896: 488th most popular.
1897: 537th most popular.
1898: 610th most popular.
1899: 550th most popular.
1900: 557th most popular.
1901: 559th most popular.
1902: 648th most popular.
1903: 566th most popular.
1904: 612th most popular.
1905: 683rd most popular.
1906: 642nd most popular.
1907: 588th most popular.
1908: 768th most popular.
1969: 578th most popular.
1910: 721st most popular.
1911: 740th most popular.
1912: 677th most popular.
1913: 880th most popular.
1914: 757th most popular.
1915: 892nd most popular.
1916: 850th most popular.
1917: 867th most popular.
1918: 959th most popular.
1919-1920: N/A
1921: 969th most popular.
1922: N/A
1923: 932nd most popular.
1924-2004: N/A

Popularity of Clementina:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1880-1907: N/A
1908: 970th most popular.
1909-2004: N/A

Selected Sources:
The Wordsworth Dictionary of First Names, Mcleod and Freedman, 1995
The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names, Withycombe, 3rd ed., 1977

Meilleurs Prenoms, (www.meilleursprenoms.com) - For French statistics. The website is in French, but “en vogue” means “popular.”

The Social Security Administration Actuarial Note 139 - For popularity stats 1880-Present
The 1880 U.S. Census- For popularity stats 1850-1880