Given name
Clif
“from the ford near the cliff”
In English use, Clif is a diminutive of Clifford. One English interpretation is “from the ford near the cliff.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In English use, Clif is a diminutive of Clifford. One English interpretation is “from the ford near the cliff.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
In English use, Clif is a diminutive of Clifford. An origin associated with Clifford is English.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In English usage, Clif is a diminutive of Clifford. In English usage, Clif is a diminutive of Clifton.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1945. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. In English use, Clif is a diminutive of Clifton. The history of Clifton gives this family its wider story. Clifton’s naming history includes the use of a family name as a given name.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Clif through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 199
- 199 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1959
- 19 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for boys is 5 in 1981. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for boys was 19 in 1959. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 379 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.
Clif’s family of names
In English usage, Clif is a diminutive of Clifford. In English usage, Clif is a diminutive of Clifton.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Clif
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Clif, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Chip
“one who bears Christ inside”
>99% boys
Clay
“of the earth's clay”
>99% boys
Jeff
“son of JEFFREY” · “the son of Jeffrey”
>99% boys
Flint
“resembling the hard quartz; from the stream”
>99% boys
Wally
“the commander of the army” · “a powerful ruler”
>99% boys
Jim
“he who supplants” · “heel grabber”
>99% boys
Gil
“resembling a young goal” · “the joy of the people”
>99% boys
Ernie
“one who is sincere and determined; serious”
>99% boys