Clifton

Meaning: Town by a cliff
Origin: Old English

Nicknames: Cliff, Clif

Boy's name · #1907 in the US (2025) · Timeless

Popularity over time

Few names move less than Clifton — on the books since 1880, #1907 in 2025, and dependable in between. Roughly 70,000 boys share it. In all that time it has never once missed a year of the national records.

Across the states

See where Clifton is more common.

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 11 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Famous Cliftons

Clifton Webb — American actor, singer, dancer (1889–1966)
Clifton Collins — American actor
Clifton Williams — American astronaut (1932–1967)
Clifton James — American actor (1920–2017)
Clifton Powell — American actor and comedian

What Cliftons become

Among 199 notable people named Clifton:

Sports figures appear 1.46× more often than among typical names — e.g. Clifton McNeely, American basketball player-coach (1919–2003).

Similar names: Aubrey · Clifford · Lonnie · Alton · Elton · Milton

Browse more boy names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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