Clifford
Feminine · “the ford by the cliff”
Clifford is given to boys far more often — 188,249 boys against 2,019 girls since 1880. See Clifford as a boy name
The most conspicuous thing carrying this name is a tower in York, and it is named for a man who was hanged from it. Roger de Clifford came out on the losing side of a rebellion and was hung in chains from the walls as an example; the building has carried his name ever since, which is a grim way to be remembered.
How old is the name Clifford?
Clifford was already in use when US birth records began in 1880 — it is at least 145 years old. The typical Clifford alive today was born around 1924, making them about 101 years old. About 600 people named Clifford are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Clifford most popular?
Clifford peaked in 1883, reaching #579 nationally. See the whole 1883 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
Where it comes from
Origin, sound and short forms
The story of Clifford
The most famous woman of the name is remembered mostly through a story that is probably not true. Rosamund Clifford was a mistress of Henry the Second, died young, and was buried with honor at Godstow until a bishop had her tomb moved out of the choir on the grounds of what she had been. Everything else attached to her — the maze in the park at Woodstock built to hide her, the silken thread the queen followed to find her, the cup of poison — appears only in chronicles written long afterwards and grows more elaborate with each retelling. What is documented is a young woman, a king, and an argument about where she was allowed to be buried.
Meaning
the ford by the cliff
Two Old English elements joined, both entirely transparent. Several places carry the compound, which is why the surname is scattered across England rather than descending from a single family.
Pronouncing Clifford
KLIF-ord
Two syllables with the stress at the front. The spelling is completely unambiguous and the name is never mispronounced.
Nicknames for Clifford
Moderate
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
- 1880
- Most girls named
- 192056 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #579reached in 1883
- Change vs 1987
- −22.2%7 in 1991, from 9
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.
Cliffords among us
people named Clifford are estimated to be alive in the US today
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
Questions parents actually ask
Fashion outlook
Clifford 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
- Cliff is a short form that works in any register and at any age.
- The meaning is concrete and easy to explain to a child.
- It has held a place in American use for the whole length of the record.
- A very well-known children's character carries the name, which follows it around.
- Its peak generation is far enough back to date the name for most ears.
- The record holds girls as well, and the girl is much the smaller side.
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What they receive
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Clifford
Feminine
Frequently asked
- How many Cliffords are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 600 people named Clifford are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Clifford in 2025?
- Clifford is rarely given in the US today — it does not rank in the top 2000 girl names.
- Will my child share the name Clifford with classmates?
- Clifford 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 Clifford? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Clifford and another name?
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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