Clift
Person living on a cliffside or steep slope.
Name Census estimates that about 8 living Americans carry the first name Clift. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Clift today is around 75 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Clift births was 1946 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Clift. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Clift is about 75 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Clifts were born before 1961.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Clift. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
8
~ 1 in 42,844,292 Americans
Peak year
1946
6 babies that year
Average age
75
years old
1961 SSA rank
#3,712
Tracked since 1946
Popularity
Clift: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Clift from the 1940s through to the 1960s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 6 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Clift by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Clift during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Clift
The name Clift is an English given name that has its origins in Old English, derived from the word "clif," meaning a cliff or steep slope. This name likely originated in the Middle Ages, during the Anglo-Saxon period in Britain, when many place names and surnames were derived from geographic features or locations.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Clift can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and population conducted in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. The Domesday Book mentions a landowner named Clift, indicating that the name was in use during the Norman conquest of England.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Clift. One of the most famous was Sir Clift Rashleigh (1554-1625), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Cornwall during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another prominent figure was Clift Norgate (1701-1773), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy and participated in several battles during the War of the Austrian Succession.
In the realm of literature, Clift Sterne (1819-1892) was a renowned English author and playwright, best known for his novel "The Chronicles of Clovelly." Additionally, Clift Browne (1870-1945) was a respected English painter and illustrator who gained recognition for his depictions of rural life and landscapes.
The name Clift has also been associated with individuals in the field of science and exploration. Clift Markham (1834-1916) was a British geographer and explorer who led several expeditions to South America and contributed significantly to the understanding of the Amazon region. Clift Harkins (1888-1972) was an American chemist and physicist who made important contributions to the study of isotopes and nuclear physics.
It is worth noting that while the name Clift has been in use for centuries, it has not been as widely popular as some other English names. However, its distinct sound and connection to geographic features have given it a unique character and a place in the annals of history.
People
Clift + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Clift as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Clift: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Clift?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 8 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Clift going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 42,844,292 US residents.
Is Clift a common name?
We classify Clift as "Very Rare". It ranks above 24.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 12 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Clift most popular?
The single biggest year for Clift was 1946, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Clift is about 75 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Clift in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Clift a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Clift in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Clift still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Clift in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Clift can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How common is the name Clift?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.