Meaning:
Its source is an English expression meaning "Cleansing."
Languages:
This boy's name is used in English.
Non-English Forms: Kalaila
Popularity:
The name Clyde ranked 187th in popularity for males of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.
This name is highly rated in the 1990 U.S. Census popularity survey of all ages, but after 1960 does not appear in the state data listing the most popular baby names.
Narrative:
It comes from the name of a river in Scotland.
Scholars believe that this and other Scottish place names were given to slaves in America in place of their African names as part of the policy of forced acculturation that characterized American slavery.
Despite this bleak association, the name remains popular among African Americans, and has spread to other ethnic groups as well.