Cleo
Cleo was the 577th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 516 babies. Its best year was 1907, when it ranked 171st; the most babies were born in 1920 (1,049). Over the last ten years it has moved up 1,167 places. More babies were named Cleo in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning short for Cleopatra, or from Clio · Greek
Say it KLEE-oh /ˈklioʊ/
- Rank in 2025
- #577 girls, up 305 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 516girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19201,049 babies
- Total since 1880
- 45,092babies recorded
What does the name Cleo mean?
Cleo is a short form of Cleopatra or a variant of Clio, according to Wiktionary. Wiktionary explains Cleopatra as Greek for "glory of her father," from kleos, glory, and patēr, father; it was the name of women of Egypt's Ptolemaic dynasty, most famously Cleopatra VII. As a rare boys' name it can come from Greek names such as Cleon or Cleopas. Cleo has been used in the US since records began in 1880.
κλέος (Ancient Greek, “glory, fame”)πατήρ (Ancient Greek, “father”)
How sure is this? Probable. Wiktionary only; the meaning depends on whether Cleopatra or Clio is the source.
Related names: Cleopatra, Clio, Kleo, Clea.
See also: Greek names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Cleo' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Cleopatra' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Cleo popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #577 | #5,245 | 516 | 18 |
| 2020 | #882 | #5,500 | 303 | 16 |
| 2010 | #2,408 | #9,883 | 78 | 7 |
| 2000 | #2,343 | #4,617 | 66 | 16 |
| 1990 | #2,915 | #2,500 | 39 | 27 |
| 1980 | #3,013 | #2,068 | 29 | 26 |
| 1970 | #2,404 | #1,422 | 31 | 35 |
| 1960 | #1,302 | #1,084 | 71 | 51 |
| 1950 | #686 | #682 | 156 | 100 |
| 1940 | #384 | #495 | 301 | 139 |
| 1930 | #290 | #403 | 515 | 208 |
| 1920 | #191 | #305 | 1,049 | 350 |
| 1910 | #190 | #289 | 357 | 72 |
| 1900 | #226 | #404 | 198 | 31 |
| 1890 | #279 | #571 | 81 | 12 |
| 1880 | #406 | #939 | 17 | 5 |
How popular is Cleo, counting every spelling?
Cleo is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #509 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #577 for Cleo on its own. Together these spellings went to 600 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleo | 516 | #577 | 2,302 |
| Kleo | 59 | #2,874 | 250 |
| Clio | 25 | #5,127 | 137 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Cleo?
516 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Cleo (0.14 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Cleo born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 16 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Cleo.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Cleo?
About 9,400 people born in the US named Cleo are alive today, with a median age of 29; half are between 6 and 75. That makes Cleo mostly worn by children and young adults. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Cleo by state
How common Cleo was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Utah (2.9×), Oregon (2.6×), Colorado (2.0×), Minnesota (1.9×), Oklahoma (1.8×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Louisiana, Alabama, Connecticut.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Cleo: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Cleo, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Cleo · Sibling names for Cleo
Questions about the name Cleo
What does Cleo mean?
Cleo means “short for Cleopatra, or from Clio” (Greek origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Cleo?
Cleo was the 577th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 516 babies. Its best year was 1907, when it ranked 171st; the most babies were born in 1920 (1,049). Over the last ten years it has moved up 1,167 places. More babies were named Cleo in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Cleo a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Cleo in the US.
Where is Cleo most popular?
In 2021–2025, Cleo was most common in Utah (0.82 per 1,000 girls), followed by Oregon and Alaska.