Clifford
Every Clifford since 1880 — 190,268 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Clifford
Clifford is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #1,352 in 2025 with 139 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 190,268 American babies have been named Clifford. Its peak came in 1925, when 3,473 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1920s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Clifford stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Clifford year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | — | 139 | #1,352 |
| 2024 | — | — | 143 | #1,342 |
| 2023 | — | — | 125 | #1,451 |
| 2022 | — | — | 152 | #1,270 |
| 2021 | — | — | 150 | #1,269 |
| 2020 | — | — | 133 | #1,344 |
| 2019 | — | — | 153 | #1,235 |
| 2018 | — | — | 144 | #1,276 |
| 2017 | — | — | 160 | #1,172 |
| 2016 | — | — | 138 | #1,310 |
| 2015 | — | — | 147 | #1,240 |
| 2014 | — | — | 119 | #1,415 |
| 2013 | — | — | 138 | #1,263 |
| 2012 | — | — | 138 | #1,275 |
| 2011 | — | — | 135 | #1,271 |
| 2010 | — | — | 143 | #1,233 |
| 2009 | — | — | 144 | #1,242 |
| 2008 | — | — | 163 | #1,119 |
| 2007 | — | — | 181 | #1,040 |
| 2006 | — | — | 168 | #1,067 |
| 2005 | — | — | 190 | #925 |
| 2004 | — | — | 215 | #827 |
| 2003 | — | — | 175 | #938 |
| 2002 | — | — | 197 | #844 |
| 2001 | — | — | 238 | #731 |
| 2000 | — | — | 224 | #753 |
| 1995 | — | — | 357 | #534 |
| 1990 | — | — | 700 | #346 |
| 1985 | 9 | #7,065 | 894 | #253 |
| 1980 | 14 | #5,028 | 1,214 | #202 |
| 1975 | 8 | #6,610 | 1,123 | #199 |
| 1970 | 10 | #5,116 | 1,582 | #176 |
| 1965 | 9 | #4,553 | 1,821 | #163 |
| 1960 | 20 | #2,750 | 2,464 | #141 |
| 1955 | 10 | #3,826 | 2,995 | #118 |
| 1950 | 10 | #3,467 | 2,940 | #100 |
| 1945 | 10 | #2,949 | 2,384 | #99 |
| 1940 | 11 | #2,596 | 2,185 | #94 |
| 1935 | 18 | #1,858 | 2,265 | #88 |
| 1930 | 35 | #1,277 | 2,696 | #73 |
| 1925 | 49 | #1,093 | 3,424 | #59 |
| 1920 | 56 | #981 | 3,291 | #59 |
| 1915 | 30 | #1,292 | 2,741 | #61 |
| 1910 | 20 | #977 | 551 | #66 |
| 1905 | 7 | #1,569 | 420 | #61 |
| 1900 | 15 | #980 | 409 | #66 |
| 1895 | 18 | #747 | 272 | #72 |
| 1890 | 12 | #796 | 207 | #83 |
| 1885 | 5 | #1,076 | 139 | #104 |
| 1880 | 6 | #764 | 127 | #107 |
Famous people named Clifford
- Clifford Geertz Anthropologist · 1926–2006
- Clifford D. Simak Writer · 1904–1988
- Clifford Shull Physicist · 1915–2001
- Clifford Brown Musician · 1930–1956
- Clifford Husbands Politician · 1926–2017
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
How popular is the name Clifford in 2025?
Clifford ranked #1,352 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 139 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Clifford?
190,268 babies have been named Clifford in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Clifford most popular?
Clifford peaked in 1925, when 3,473 newborns received the name.
Is Clifford a boy or girl name?
Clifford is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 99% of babies with the name.
Is the name Clifford rising or falling?
Clifford has been roughly stable over the past decade.
Who are famous people named Clifford?
Well-known people named Clifford include Clifford Geertz (anthropologist), Clifford D. Simak (writer), Clifford Shull (physicist).