Meaning and background
The story behind Clem
Clem is a short form of Clement. The longer name traces to Roman Clemens, associated with mercy or gentleness, so the meaning belongs to that historical name family rather than being a description of a particular dog. Clem removes most of the formal name while retaining its opening sound and a single-syllable English call. It may suit someone who likes the history of Clement but wants the abbreviated form from the start. Keep the name's gentle association separate from temperament claims, which require knowing the dog itself.
- Origin
- Short form of Clement. Source · Source 2
- Meaning
- Through Clement, associated with Latin Clemens and its merciful or gentle sense. Source
Try Clem out loud
Everyday moments“Clem, come here!”
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About Clem
Recorded as a dog’s name
Clem appears in 3 dog licence records in the 2017 New York City dataset.
How to read this count
These records cover New York City and may count the same dog in more than one licence period. They are not a national popularity ranking.
Pronunciation and rhythm
/klɛm/
US English sound sequence, converted from the CMU dictionary. Stress marks are shown separately.
Stress on the first syllable in the recorded US readings.
View dictionary notation
/klɛm/ · primary stress on syllable 1K L EH1 M
These are US dictionary readings. Personal, regional and other language pronunciations may differ.
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Sources and research notes (3)
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene NYC Dog Licensing Dataset — all seven available extract years, retrieved 24 October 2026 — Recorded name spellings in NYC licence-period rows, extract years 2016–2018, 2022–2024 and 2026. Evidence selects one stated year per name. Annual snapshots overlap; never sum them as unique dogs. No national popularity, etymology or owner naming-intent claim.
- Carnegie Mellon University / CMU Sphinx maintainers CMU US English Pronouncing Dictionary — US English dictionary readings; not owner-specific or exhaustive multilingual pronunciation
- City of Seattle Seattle Pet Licenses — DOG-only name aggregate, current source dated 6 October 2026 — Secondary spelling corroboration from dog-only licence rows. No cats, owner fields, national ranking or unique-dog claim.
References support the individual facts shown. A source link does not mean the entire profile has been verified.