Cliff

Cliff: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning
“cliff, slope”
Origin
English
Say it
klif · 1 syllable
Used for
Boys

From the English vocabulary word and also used as a short form of Clifford or Clifton. As a given name it often functions as a nickname.

How popular is Cliff?

202412.3 per million US babies
1880192019602000
Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Babies named Cliff in 202441

2024 rank#2,991 boys

Peak year1886

Total US babies since 18809,265

Cliff is rising: use over the last five years is 2.3× what it was a decade earlier.

Names like Cliff

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

  • Cliffordford by a cliff · Old English
  • JackGod is gracious · English
  • Hudsonson of Hudd · English
  • Jacksonson of Jack · English
  • Cartercart driver · English
  • Wyattbrave in war · English
  • Maverickindependent person · English
  • Masonstoneworker · English

Cliff questions

What does the name Cliff mean?

Cliff means "cliff, slope". It comes from English. From the English vocabulary word and also used as a short form of Clifford or Clifton. As a given name it often functions as a nickname.

Is Cliff a boy or girl name?

Cliff is mainly a boy's name in US records (100% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Cliff?

41 US babies were named Cliff in 2024. Its peak year was 1886.

How do you pronounce Cliff?

Cliff is usually pronounced klif.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.