Name meaning & stats
Cliff
Cliff. 7,518 US babies since 1940, peak 1959. Notable Cliffs are 1.3× over-represented as footballers.
What it means
No agreed meaning on record
In US birth records
Peak year: 1959
7,518 US babies were named Cliff between 1940 and 2025.
Where Cliffs end up
Not enough notable Cliffs yet, so this uses the spelling family: Clive, Cliff.
| Career | vs expected | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Footballer | 1.3× | High · 35 people |
| NFL-style footballer | 1.1× | High · 25 people |
| Politician | 0.9× | Medium · 24 people |
| Actor | 0.9× | Medium · 18 people |
Among notable men who are footballers, the Clive family show up 1.3× as often as you'd expect from how common the name is.
Notable people born 1940–2005 in the US, UK, Canada and Australia (Wikidata). Patterns, not destiny.
One more thing…
Cliff has a surprise career: 2.0×
Spelling family
The most common spelling: 74% of the family
Names that sound the same, grouped by Heyotag. Share of US babies since 1940.
Name twins (peaked around 1959)