NameChart

Clifford

Boy name

Clifford has been given to 190,268 babies in the U.S. since 1880. It peaked in 1925.

Meaning & origin /ˈklɪfəɹd/

From Old English clif (“cliff”) + ford (“ford”), a dweller at the ford by the steep bank.

Origin: surnames

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Popularity over time births per year, 1880–2025

08561.712k2.568k3.424k 18801900192019401960198020002020 Girls Boys
Hover or tap the chart to read any year.

Total babies

190,268

Peak year

1925 (3,473 babies)

Rank in 2025

Below top 1000

First recorded

1880

10-year trend

▼ -5%

Gender split

1% girls / 99% boys

Famous people named Clifford

Clifford Shull

American physicist (1915–2001)

Cliff Burton

American bassist (1962–1986)

Cliff Robertson

American actor (1923–2011)

Clifford D. Simak

American writer, journalist (1904–1988)

Notability data from Wikidata (CC0).

Names with a similar vibe

Same primary gender, peaked around the same years, and roughly as common as Clifford.

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