Cliff
Meaning
short form of Clifford, or directly from the nature word 'cliff'
The formal names behind Cliff
Cliff is an established short form of this name.
Clifford · English origin · ford near a cliff
Popularity, 1890–2024
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Cliff peaked in the 1950s and the 2020s in nearly equal measure.
See popularity in Brazil
Popularity in Brazil
65 people · the #55,639 first name in Brazil · median age 37
Among people named Cliff living in Brazil at the 2022 census, more were born in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022
When you meet Cliff
People given the name Cliff in the United States span the generations: the middle half were born anywhere from 1950 to 1989. Age is the one thing the name won't tell you.
Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.
The Cliff deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Cliff truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Cliff fits with your family’s names and surname.
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