Clement comes from the Latin clemens and means "merciful" or "gentle". It was the name of fourteen popes, beginning with Saint Clement I in the first century, and in America it belongs to Clement Clarke Moore, author of the poem that begins "'Twas the night before Christmas". Clement has always been uncommon in the United States: it ranked number 3087 in 2000, reached number 2213 in 2024 and stood at number 2262 in 2025.