Cleo
Cleo is a given name, derived from the name Clio in Greek mythology.
Meaning & Origin of Cleo
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Cleo is a given name, derived from the name Clio in Greek mythology.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Cleo
As a girl name
Cleo first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1880, with 17 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1920, when 1,049 Cleos were born — ranking #191 that year. As of 2026, Cleo ranks #550 for girls with 556 births, rising sharply (+93% over the past five years). In total, more than 34K Cleos have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Cleo first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1880, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1918, when 363 Cleos were born — ranking #279 that year. As of 2026, Cleo ranks #4,330 for boys with 24 births, rising sharply (+21% over the past five years). In total, more than 12K Cleos have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Cleo
Phonetically similar names — useful when Cleo is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Cleo
What does the name Cleo mean?
How popular is Cleo in 2026?
When was Cleo most popular?
In which U.S. states is Cleo most popular?
Is Cleo a unisex name?
What names go well with Cleo?
About the name Cleo
Cleo is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 34K births in the dataset. Cleo's peak popularity came in 1920 when it ranked #171. Use the chart and map above to compare Cleo's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1920 →
- Names of the 1920s →
- Names starting with "C" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.