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I have Clarence Thomas come to mind when I hear this... or an older guy I know who usually just goes by Clare.

It's very old mannish and the fact that It's a Wonderful Life is still played all the time doesn't make one picture a youthful Clarence so I don't see it being popular again.

You're talking about for a boy right? I love it. I love the nickname Clare on a boy, which was originally a boy's name anyway. I think it is very handsome.

I think Clarence is pretty darn cool myself. Perhaps it is time for a comeback, who knows? But I wouldn't worry about that. If you like it, you like it.

I love Clarence! It's supremely dignified.

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I'm rather fond of Clarence Barnaby.

It is a cool name, but not the kind I'd use.

I really like this name, although I've never heard it used outside of literature. But I agree with an earlier post that yes, when it comes back, it will probably come back as a girls' name.

It does make me think of an old guy. But it is kind of cool.

I have mixed feelings on Clarence. On the one hand, it sort of has this quirky-cool feeling like Jasper. On the other hand, it has a really hard sound. I think it could make a comeback.

I just recently fell in love with this name. To me it sounds very regal, medievalish (it's King Arthur's battle cry), and quite handsome. It is deffinatly time for a come back. I hope it dosen't come back on girls, though, as Cleveland pointed out.

There have been so many uses of Clarence in American literature and culture to telegraph "namby-pamby" or "ineffectual" characteristics that it's a bit harder to see it coming back for boys than some of the other Victorian male fashions.

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Actually, I think there is a chance that when Clarence is revived next in the USA that it will switch gender. If Cadence continues its great popularity as a female name, Clarence may start to sound like a "cool" name for a girl to some young parents who hear it as a blend of Clara and Cadence.