Clifford

“Ford by a cliff” — Old English origin

Boy's name · #1352 in the US (2025) · Heirloom

Clifford belongs to an older America first — it reached #57 back in 1909 — yet it still appears in today's records at #1352. About 188,000 boys have carried it since 1880. In all that time it has never once missed a year of the national records. Clifford's short forms are Cliff and Clif.

Around the world: about 1 in 8,400 boys in Canada (2024).

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 14 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Famous Cliffords

Clifford Shull — American physicist (1915–2001)
Clifford D. Simak — American writer, journalist (1904–1988)
Clifford Geertz — American anthropologist
Clifford Brown — American jazz musician (1930–1956)
Clifford Odets — American playwright, screenwriter, and actor (1906–1963)

In stories & tradition

Clifford — Muppets universe
Clifford Banks — Murder One
"Clifford ""Cliff"" Bradshaw" — Cabaret

What Cliffords become

Among 745 notable people named Clifford:

Lawyers & judges appear 1.33× more often than among typical names — e.g. Clifford Husbands, Barbadian judge (1926-2017).

Similar names: Milton · Clifton · Ralph · Howard · Harold · Bernard

Browse more boy names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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