ESC Name Rank Total Searching... No names found Try searching for: Emma, Liam, Olivia, Noah... 1880 First Year 2026 Last Year 1959 Peak Year #357 Peak Rank 9K Total Count 147 Years Active 🌍 ## 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 ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cliff%5F%28given%5Fname%29) (CC BY-SA 3.0). [Read more → ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cliff%5F%28given%5Fname%29) ### Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name) * English 📖 ## The Story of Cliff The earliest SSA record of Cliff as a baby boy name dates back to 1880, when 7 babies received it. 1959 was its biggest year on record, with 310 newborns named Cliff — #455 in the national rankings. The 1960s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 21% of all recorded Cliffs. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #3,172 among baby boy names 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 ME WA MT ND MN WI MI NY VT NH MA OR ID SD IA IL IN OH PA NJ CT RI CA NV WY NE MO KY WV VA MD DE DC UT CO KS AR TN NC SC AK AZ NM OK LA MS AL GA HI TX FL Top 10 11-50 51-100 101-500 500+ No data 🔗 ## 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. * [Clifford](/clifford) * [Clifton](/clifton) 🎶 ## 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](/clif) * Cliffe * Klif * Clef * Cluff * Claf * Kloof * Cloff * Kleef * Glyph * Gliff * Cliffs Source: [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated. ❓ ## Frequently Asked Questions about Cliff What does the name Cliff mean? Cliff is a masculine given name. It is usually a short form of Clifford or, less frequently, Clifton. It may refer to: What is the origin of the name Cliff? Cliff has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: English. How popular is Cliff in 2026? In 2026, Cliff ranks #3,172 among boys' names in the U.S., with 38 babies given the name that year. When was Cliff most popular? Cliff reached its peak popularity in 1959, ranking #357 that year with 310 babies given the name. In which U.S. states is Cliff most popular? Cliff has historically been most popular in Oregon, Idaho, Massachusetts. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Cliff. Is Cliff a unisex name? In U.S. Social Security records, Cliff is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name. What names go well with Cliff? Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Cliff include Lawson, Mcarthur, Javon. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data. What are nicknames or variants of Cliff? Common variants and related forms of Cliff include Clifford, Clifton. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms. ## Similar Names [👦LawsonPeak #357](/lawson)[👦McarthurPeak #357](/mcarthur)[👦JavonPeak #357](/javon)[👦SimeonPeak #356](/simeon)[👦ValentinePeak #358](/valentine)[👦RemyPeak #356](/remy)[👦DarianPeak #358](/darian)[👦SkylarPeak #356](/skylar) ## 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 → ](/year/1959) * [ Names of the 1950s → ](/decade/1950s) * [ Names starting with "C" → ](/letter/c) * [ Browse all boy names → ](/names/boys) * [ Top names of 2026 → ](/year/2026) Data sources * Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. [Social Security Administration ](https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/). 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 ](https://www.behindthename.com/) (used under their public API terms). * Meaning prose and editorial summary — [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/) article extracts, licensed under [CC BY-SA 3.0 ](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/). * Predicted nationality distribution — [Nationalize.io ](https://nationalize.io/). * Phonetically similar names — [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). 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.