Given name & surname
Cliff
“from the town near the cliff”·“from the ford near the cliff”
In English use, Cliff is a diminutive of Clifford. One English interpretation is “from the ford near the cliff.” Cliff is a form of Cliffton. One English interpretation is “from the town near the cliff.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In English use, Cliff carries the interpretation “from the town near the cliff.” In English use, Cliff is a diminutive of Clifford. One English interpretation is “from the ford near the cliff.” Cliff is a form of Cliffton. One English interpretation is “from the town near the cliff.”
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is English.
How it developed
In English use, Cliff is used as a shortened form of Clifford. Cliff is used as a form of Cliffton.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. In English use, Cliff 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
Cliff through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 9,307
- 9,307 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1959
- 310 babies
- 2025
- 43
- #2,895 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +35%
- Rising
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 43 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 2,895 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 35.0% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 310 in 1959. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 11,435 as a first name in 2020; 2,129 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Cliff’s family of names
In English usage, Cliff is a diminutive of Clifford. In English usage, Cliff as a surname shares a linguistic root with KLEVE. Cliff is a form of Cliffton.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 7
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 5
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 Cliff
- Cliff BurtonAmerican bassist (1962–1986)
- Cliff RobertsonAmerican actor (1923–2011)
- Cliff WilliamsEnglish musicianborn 1949
- Cliff CurtisNew Zealand actorborn 1968
- Cliff BastinEnglish footballer (1912-1991)
- Cliff DeYoungAmerican actor (b. 1945)
- Cliff MartinezAmerican musician and composer, composer, drummerborn 1954
- Cliff JonesWelsh footballer (born 1935)
- Cliff BarkerAmerican basketball player (1921–1998)
Characters named Cliff: Cliff Barnes (the American television series Dallas).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Cliff, 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
Flint
“resembling the hard quartz; from the stream”
>99% boys
Jim
“he who supplants” · “heel grabber”
>99% boys
Rick
“a powerful ruler”
>99% boys
Ladd
“a servant; a young man”
>99% boys
Ted
“a gift from God” · “having heart”
>99% boys
Nick
“of the victorious people”
>99% boys