Clifton
Clifton is a given name. Notable people with the name include:Clifton Abraham, American and Canadian football player Clifton Bailey, Jamaican reggae musician, better known as Capleton Clifton Bloomfield, American serial killer Clifton R. Breckinridge (1846–1932), American politician Clifton Campbell, American sprinter Clifton Bush, American professional basketball player Clifton B.
Meaning & Origin of Clifton
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Clifton is a given name. Notable people with the name include:Clifton Abraham, American and Canadian football player Clifton Bailey, Jamaican reggae musician, better known as Capleton Clifton Bloomfield, American serial killer Clifton R. Breckinridge (1846–1932), American politician Clifton Campbell, American sprinter Clifton Bush, American professional basketball player Clifton B.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Clifton
Clifton first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 38 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1975, when 1,214 Cliftons were born — ranking #186 that year. As of 2026, Clifton ranks #1,816 for baby boys with 90 births, gradually falling (-12%). In total, more than 70K Cliftons 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 Clifton
Phonetically similar names — useful when Clifton 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 Clifton
What does the name Clifton mean?
How popular is Clifton in 2026?
When was Clifton most popular?
In which U.S. states is Clifton most popular?
Is Clifton a unisex name?
What names go well with Clifton?
About the name Clifton
Clifton is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 70K births in the dataset. Clifton's peak popularity came in 1975 when it ranked #144. Use the chart and map above to compare Clifton's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1975 →
- Names of the 1970s →
- 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.