Clive

“Dweller near a cliff” — Old English origin

Boy's name · #2398 in the US (2025) · Heirloom

Clive belongs to an older America first — it reached #764 back in 1906 — yet it still appears in today's records at #2398. About 3,300 boys have carried it since 1885.

Around the world: about 1 in 7,900 boys in Ireland (2025) · about 1 in 14,000 boys in Canada (2024).

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 5 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Famous Clives

Clive Owen — English actor
Clive Dunn — British actor (1920–2012)
Clive Granger — British economist
Clive Barker — English author, film director, and visual artist (born 1952)
Clive Sinclair — English entrepreneur and inventor (1940–2021)

In stories & tradition

Clive Reston — Earth-616
Clive Gibbons — Neighbours
Clive Lyle — fictional human

What Clives become

Among 661 notable people named Clive:

Sports figures appear 1.3× more often than among typical names — e.g. Clive Allen, English footballer (born 1961).

Similar names: Dutch · Clint · Dave · Fulton · Roscoe · Clifford

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

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