Given name
Cleopatra
“a father's glory; of the royal family”
Cleopatra is used as a given name. One Greek interpretation is “a father's glory; of the royal family.”
Original GreekΚλεοπάτρα
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Greek interpretation is “a father's glory; of the royal family.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Greek.
How it developed
In English usage, Cleopatra developed from Κλεοπάτρα.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1889. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Cleopatra through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 2,484
- 0 boys · 2,484 girls
- Most popular year
- 1974
- 52 babies
- 2025
- 42
- #3,590 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +24%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 42 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 3,590 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 23.7% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (9). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,832 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Cleopatra’s family of names
Cleopatra has a short form in Cleo. In English usage, Cleopatra developed from the Ancient Greek form Κλεοπάτρα. Cleopatra has a related form in Cleta.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Cleopatra has relatives in 36 languages. Lines run from its Ancient Greek roots to each of them.
Ancient Greekwhere Cleopatra comes from · 1 name
Nicknames & forms 16
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 22
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Cleopatra
- Cleopatra StratanMoldovan singerborn 2002
- Cleopatra ColemanAustralian actressborn 1987
- Cleopatra Kambugu KentaroUgandan transgender activistborn 1984
- Cleopatra KoheirweUgandan actressborn 1982
- CleopatraGreek singerborn 1963
- Cleo von AdelsheimSwiss-born German-Chilean actress and model; wife of Franz-Albrecht, Hereditary Prince of Oettingen-Spielbergborn 1987
- Cleopatra BorelTrinidad and Tobago shot putterborn 1979
- Cleo.English rapper and singerborn 1988
- Cleopatra TuckerAmerican politicianborn 1943
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
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