Clyde is a surname, and may refer to:
- Andrew Clyde (born 1963), American politician
- Andy Clyde (1892–1967), Scottish actor
- Bradley Clyde (born 1970), Australian rugby player
- David Clyde (born 1955), American baseball pitcher
- David Francis Clyde (1925–2002), British tropical physician and malariologist
- George Dewey Clyde, (1898–1972), American politician
- Ian Clyde (born 1956), Canadian boxer
- Irene Clyde (1869–1954), English lawyer, writer and activist
- James Clyde, multiple people
- Jeremy Clyde (born 1941), English actor
- June Clyde (1909–1987), American actress, singer, and dancer
- Norman Clyde (1885–1972), American mountaineer and photographer
- Thomas Clyde, multiple people
History of the surname
editThis surname originated in Celtic times, and was used in Scotland and Ulster as a name for people who lived by the banks of the River Clyde, which flows through Glasgow.
The origin of the river's name comes from the Gaelic name "Cluaidh", the original meaning of which is now unclear. Some [who?] believe it is derived from the Brythonic word "clut", meaning "the cleansing one". There was also a goddess in Celtic mythology named Clota, who was considered the guardian of the river, and the Roman name for the river was Clota. In modern times, Clyde as a given name is also taken to mean “warm” in the sense of “caring and friendly.” [1]