Clifton

Clifton is a boy's name of English origin meaning “town by a cliff.” In 2024 it was given to 94 boys in the United States.

Clifton at a glance

Gender
Boy name
Origin
English & American
Meaning
“town by a cliff”
Pronunciation
/ˈklɪftən/

About the name Clifton

Clifton belongs to the English & American tradition. Its meaning — “town by a cliff” — is the sense carried by its English roots, and it is the meaning we verified against published sources for this page.

In the United States, Clifton first appears in Social Security records in 1880. It climbed to its best-ever rank of #144 in 1915, and in 2024 94 babies received the name — 70,164 in total since 1880. Those are the official counts, not estimates.

Clifton in US records

First recorded (US)
1880
Best US rank
#144 in 1915
Peak year
1975
Babies named Clifton in 2024
94
Total since 1880
70,164

Clifton in England & Wales records

First recorded (since 1996)
1997
Best rank
#2337 in 1997
Babies named Clifton in 2020
3
Total since 1996
7

Similar names

More names from the English & American shelf:

Frequently asked questions

What does the name Clifton mean?

Clifton means “town by a cliff” in its English roots. We check every meaning against published sources before it appears here.

Is Clifton a boy or girl name?

Clifton is a boy name. In 2024, 94 babies received the name in the US.

What origin is the name Clifton?

Clifton comes from the English & American tradition.

How popular is the name Clifton?

Clifton first appears in US records in 1880. Its best-ever ranking was #144 in 1915, and 94 babies were given the name in 2024.

How do you pronounce Clifton?

Clifton is pronounced /ˈklɪftən/ (IPA).

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Meaning and origin for this page were checked against this source. US popularity figures are from the Social Security Administration's public baby-names data. England & Wales figures are from the Office for National Statistics. If you spot an error, write to [email protected] — accuracy is the whole point of this site, and corrections are made fast.