Clifton
- Gender
- Male
- Meaning
- From The Farm Near The Cliff
- Origin
- English
About the Name Clifton
Clifton is a handsome English name meaning "from the farm near the cliff," formed from the Old English words for a cliff or steep slope and a farmstead or settlement. Originally a place name and then a surname, it carries a grounded, landscape-rooted feel and the kind of solid, three-syllable dignity that defined an earlier generation of American boys' names. It evokes wide open countryside and a sense of sturdy, dependable character.
In modern records the name had a brief turn near the top of its range. Clifton first entered the US Social Security top-1000 in 2000, reached its best rank of #739 that same year, and left the list after 2003, when it sat at #946. In all it was given to about 769 boys during its top-1000 years, the signature of a once-common classic settling into rarer use while retaining its warm, old-fashioned appeal for families who appreciate a name with real heritage.
Clifton's appeal lies in its sturdy, old-school charm and its ready nickname Cliff, giving it both heritage and a relaxed, casual everyday form. It fits naturally among other vintage surname-names like Clayton, Carlton, and Dalton, offering a dignified yet approachable choice. The recorded short form Cliff gives parents a crisp, friendly alternative to the fuller name, perfect for a child who prefers something more laid-back.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration name data, 1880–2024 (methodology). By Marvin Tang.
Quick Facts About Clifton
US Popularity History (2000–2003)
Annual US births named Clifton by gender, from US Social Security Administration records. Peak year: 2000 with 232 boys named Clifton (boy rank #739 that year).
Where it stands today: in 2003, ranked #946 for boys (173 US births). That's 207 places below its 2000 peak.
Source: US Social Security Administration. Limitations: US birth-certificate data only; names appearing fewer than 5 times in a given year are suppressed for privacy; spelling variants are counted separately. For names that ranked outside the US top 100 before year 2000, only the years they reached the top 100 are shown — the chart may have gaps for less-popular historical names.
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Variant Forms
| Name | Meaning | Gender | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cliff | Lives By The Ford Near The Cliff | Male | English |
Looking for names like Clifton?
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Compare Clifton to Other Popular Names
Side-by-side popularity charts and crossover years for Clifton against today's most popular boys-name peers (top 8 by US births in the last 10 years of SSA records).