Girl · #13,427 in 2026

Clove

Cloves are the aromatic flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae, Syzygium aromaticum. They are native to the Maluku Islands, or Moluccas, in Indonesia, and are commonly used as a spice, flavoring, or fragrance in consumer products, such as toothpaste, soaps, or cosmetics. Cloves are available throughout the year owing to different harvest seasons across various countries.

Current Rank
#13,427
Peak Rank
#8,472 (2023)
Total Babies
50
5-Yr Trend
+38%
2019
First Year
2024
Last Year
2023
Peak Year
#8472
Peak Rank
50
Total Count
6
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Clove

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

Cloves are the aromatic flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae, Syzygium aromaticum. They are native to the Maluku Islands, or Moluccas, in Indonesia, and are commonly used as a spice, flavoring, or fragrance in consumer products, such as toothpaste, soaps, or cosmetics. Cloves are available throughout the year owing to different harvest seasons across various countries.

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

Etymology
The word clove , first used in English in the 15th century , derives via Middle English clow of gilofer , Anglo- French clowes de gilofre and Old French clou de girofle , from the Latin word clavus "nail". The related English word gillyflower , originally meaning "clove", derives via said Old French girofle and Latin caryophyllon , from the Greek karyophyllon "clove", literally "nut leaf".
Origin & history
Austronesian proto-historic and historic maritime trade network in the Indian Ocean Until the colonial era , cloves only grew on a few islands in the Moluccas (historically called the Spice Islands ), including Bacan , Makian , Moti , Ternate , and Tidore . Cloves were first traded by the Austronesian peoples in the Austronesian maritime trade network (which began around 1500 BC, later becoming the Maritime Silk Road and part of the Spice Trade ). The first notable example of modern clove farming developed on the east coast of Madagascar , and is cultivated in three separate ways, a monocultur

The Story of Clove

Clove first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 2019, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2023, when 12 Cloves were born — ranking #8,472 that year. As of 2026, Clove ranks #13,427 for baby girls with 6 births, rising sharply (+38% over the past five years). In total, more than 50 Cloves have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 2010s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

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Names that sound like Clove

Phonetically similar names — useful when Clove 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 Clove

What does the name Clove mean?
Cloves are the aromatic flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae, Syzygium aromaticum. They are native to the Maluku Islands, or Moluccas, in Indonesia, and are commonly used as a spice, flavoring, or fragrance in consumer products, such as toothpaste, soaps, or cosmetics. Cloves are available throughout the year owing to different harvest seasons across various countries.
How popular is Clove in 2026?
In 2026, Clove ranks #13,427 among girls' names in the U.S., with 6 babies given the name that year.
When was Clove most popular?
Clove reached its peak popularity in 2023, ranking #8,472 that year with 12 babies given the name.
Is Clove a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Clove is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Clove?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Clove include Orielle, Mayuri, Enisa. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

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Orielle
Peak #8472
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Mayuri
Peak #8472
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Enisa
Peak #8472
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Sahiba
Peak #8472
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Soliel
Peak #8472
👧
Blayze
Peak #8472
👧
Zayneb
Peak #8472
👧
Aisosa
Peak #8472

About the name Clove

Clove is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 2019 and has accumulated 50 births in the dataset. Clove's peak popularity came in 2023 when it ranked #8,472. Use the chart and map above to compare Clove'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.