Cliff
Cliff is a masculine given name. It is usually a short form of Clifford or, less frequently, Clifton. It may refer to:
- English
Meaning & Origin of Cliff
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Cliff is a masculine given name. It is usually a short form of Clifford or, less frequently, Clifton. It may refer to:
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Cliff
Cliff first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1959, when 310 Cliffs were born — ranking #455 that year. As of 2026, Cliff ranks #3,172 for baby boys with 38 births, rising sharply (+29% over the past five years). In total, more than 9K Cliffs have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Cliff
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Cliff. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Cliff
Phonetically similar names — useful when Cliff is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Clif
- Cliffe
- Klif
- Clef
- Cluff
- Claf
- Kloof
- Cloff
- Kleef
- Glyph
- Gliff
- Cliffs
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Cliff
What does the name Cliff mean?
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How popular is Cliff in 2026?
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In which U.S. states is Cliff most popular?
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About the name Cliff
Cliff is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 9K births in the dataset. Cliff's peak popularity came in 1959 when it ranked #357. Use the chart and map above to compare Cliff's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1959 →
- Names of the 1950s →
- Names starting with "C" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.