Girl · #6,244 in 2026

Cleva

Name: Popularity of the name Cleva in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Cleva, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

"Cleva" is a song recorded by American singer Erykah Badu for her second studio album Mama's Gun (2000). It was written and produced by Badu, J Dilla, and James Poyser, a member of the Soulquarians and Badu's own production team Frequency. The song features Roy Ayers on vibraphone. It was released as the third and final single from Mama's Gun on April 17, 2001, by Motown Records.

Current Rank

#6,244

Peak Rank

#1,600 (1918)

Total Babies

561

5-Yr Trend

Stable

1884

First Year

1959

Last Year

1918

Peak Year

#1600

Peak Rank

561

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Cleva

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Cleva

Cleva first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1884, with 9 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1918, when 25 Clevas were born — ranking #1,600 that year. As of 2026, Cleva ranks #6,244 for baby girls with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 561 Clevas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Cleva

Phonetically similar names — useful when Cleva is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Clava
Cleaver
Cleavage
Cleave
Cleve
Cleaved
Cleaves
Cleves
Kiva
Cleeve
Cleven
Kleve

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Cleva

What does the name Cleva mean?

How popular is Cleva in 2026?

In 2026, Cleva ranks #6,244 among girls' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.

When was Cleva most popular?

Cleva reached its peak popularity in 1918, ranking #1,600 that year with 25 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Cleva most popular?

Cleva has historically been most popular in Arkansas, Missouri. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Cleva.

Is Cleva a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Cleva is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.

What names go well with Cleva?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Cleva include Alwilda, Brooksie, Samella. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Cleva

Cleva is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1884 and has accumulated 561 births in the dataset. Cleva's peak popularity came in 1918 when it ranked #1,600. Use the chart and map above to compare Cleva's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.