Cliffton
Cliffton was the 10932nd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 6 babies. Its best year was 1977, when it ranked 1104th; the most babies were born in 1982 (67). Over the last ten years it has moved up 4 places. More babies were named Cliffton in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Clifton) "settlement by a cliff" · Old English, English
- Rank in 2025
- #10,932 boys, up 1,474 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 6boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 198267 babies
- Total since 1880
- 1,872babies recorded
What does the name Cliffton mean?
Cliffton is a spelling of Clifton, pronounced the same way, so it shares Clifton's meaning and origin.
Clifton is an English surname taken from one of the many places of that name in England. The place-name is Old English clif, "cliff, steep slope", plus tūn, "farmstead, settlement", so "the settlement on or by the slope". As with many place-name surnames, it came into use as a first name in the 19th century, especially in the United States. Cliff is the usual short form.
clif (Old English, “cliff, slope”)tūn (Old English, “farmstead, settlement”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Cliff, Clifford.
See also: English names, names that mean meadow, hill or valley, names from places.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Clifton', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wikipedia, 'Clifton (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Cliffton popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #10,932 | 6 |
| 2020 | #12,406 | 5 |
| 2010 | #9,884 | 7 |
| 2000 | #4,431 | 17 |
| 1990 | #2,501 | 27 |
| 1980 | #1,180 | 60 |
| 1970 | #1,897 | 22 |
| 1960 | #2,444 | 12 |
| 1950 | #1,953 | 15 |
| 1940 | #2,511 | 9 |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Cliffton, counting every spelling?
Cliffton is a spelling of Clifton, a name family that had 88 boys in 2025 across its spellings. Together these spellings went to 88 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clifton | 82 | #1,907 | 451 |
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 Cliffton?
6 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Cliffton (0.00 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Cliffton 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 1,368 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Cliffton.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Cliffton?
About 1,500 people born in the US named Cliffton are alive today, with a median age of 45; half are between 35 and 53. That makes Cliffton mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
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.
Cliffton by state
How common Cliffton was among boys born in each state in 1980–1984, around its peak. It is notably more common than nationally in Texas (2.0×). In 47 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Cliffton: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Cliffton, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Cliffton
What does Cliffton mean?
Cliffton is a spelling of Clifton, which means “"settlement by a cliff"” (Old English, English origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Cliffton?
Cliffton was the 10932nd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 6 babies. Its best year was 1977, when it ranked 1104th; the most babies were born in 1982 (67). Over the last ten years it has moved up 4 places. More babies were named Cliffton in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Is Cliffton a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Cliffton in the US.
Where was Cliffton most popular?
In 1980–1984, Cliffton was most common in Texas (0.06 per 1,000 boys), followed by Florida and Michigan.