Cleva
Feminine
Cleva is a rare two-syllable name that sounds like the English word clever said with a soft ending. It may be a feminine of Cleve, and it has the brisk, bright sound of its time.
How old is the name Cleva?
Cleva first appears in US birth records in 1884 — 141 years ago. The typical Cleva alive today was born around 1924, making them about 101 years old. Fewer than a hundred people named Cleva are estimated to be alive in the US today — a true one-of-a-kind name.
When was the name Cleva most popular?
Cleva peaked in 1884, reaching #731 nationally. See the whole 1884 chart.
Where it comes from
Origin, sound and short forms
Our story of Cleva
Said aloud, Cleva sounds like clever, and that word has an uncertain history of its own: when it first appears in English it meant nimble with the hands, quick at grasping, and scholars still argue over where it came from. Cleva may instead be a feminine of Cleve, the cliff of Cleveland. Either way it is a short, quick name, and quickness suits it.
Meaningnot established
Not established
No source records the origin of Cleva. It may be a feminine of Cleve, from an English word for a cliff, and it sounds like clever; no record says which a family had in mind.
Pronouncing Cleva
KLEE-vuh
Two syllables, stressed on the first.
Nicknames for Cleva
Limited
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1884
- Most girls named
- 191825 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #731reached in 1884
- Change vs 1956
- 0.0%5 in 1959, from 5
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Clevas among us
Fewer than a hundred people named Cleva are estimated to be alive in the US today — a true one-of-a-kind name.
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
Questions parents actually ask
Fashion outlook
Cleva sits outside the current charts, and that is its own kind of answer: naming cycles can only date the names they carried up. A name this rare has no decade stamped on it — it cannot go out of fashion, because it was never in.
Based on 146 years of naming cycles. How we read them
The trade-off
- It is almost certainly unique among the people she will meet.
- It is short and easy to say.
- It sounds like clever, which will bring gentle teasing.
- There is no recorded meaning to give when someone asks.
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Cleva
Feminine
Frequently asked
- How many Clevas are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. Fewer than a hundred people named Cleva are estimated to be alive in the US today — a true one-of-a-kind name.
- How popular is the name Cleva in 2025?
- Cleva is rarely given in the US today — it does not rank in the top 2000 girl names.
- Will my child share the name Cleva with classmates?
- Cleva will almost certainly be the only one in school.
More C names
The most-given names starting with C, all years combined.
Carol#2239 · Cynthia#1013 · Catherine#313 · Christine#1272 · Carolyn#1222 · Christina#770 · Charlotte#2 · Cheryl#4352
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Cleva? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Cleva and another name?
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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