Clifton

At a Glance: Name: Clifton – Meaning: settlement by a cliff – Origin: Old English (place name/surname) – Gender: used for both boys and girls – Pronunciation: KLIF-tun

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Clifton is an Old English name, originally a place name and surname, meaning settlement by a cliff. It carries a literal, grounded sense tied to landscape rather than an invented or decorative sound. SSA records for the name go back to 1880, giving it a long, documented history in the United States.

Meaning & Origin of Clifton

Meaning: Settlement by a cliff.

Origin: Old English (place name/surname).

Source: Wiktionary, Wikipedia.

How to Pronounce Clifton

Phonetic: KLIF-tun   IPA: /ˈklɪftən/

Popularity of Clifton

Clifton peaked in 1915, when 820 babies were given the name, putting it at #144 that year. By 2024 it had dropped to #1746, with only 94 babies named Clifton, marking a long decline across more than a century of Social Security data.

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1880–2024.

Make Clifton Name Art

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Names With a Similar Story

Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.

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FAQ

What does the name Clifton mean?

Settlement by a cliff. (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Clifton)

How do you pronounce Clifton?

Clifton is pronounced KLIF-tun (IPA: /ˈklɪftən/).

Is Clifton a popular name right now?

Clifton peaked at #144 in 1915 and is ranked #1746 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1880–2024.)

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