Cloud
A name referring to the visible mass of atmospheric condensation.
Name Census estimates that about 638 living Americans carry the first name Cloud. It is a predominantly male name (96.6% of registrations). The average person named Cloud today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Cloud births was 2020 (55 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Cloud. 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.
People living today
638
~ 1 in 537,233 Americans
Peak year
2020
55 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,875
Tracked since 1913
Gender
Gender distribution for Cloud
Cloud leans heavily male at 96.6% of total registrations, but 25 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Cloud as a male name
- Ranked #2,875 in 2024
- 44 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2020 (50 births)
Cloud as a female name
- Ranked #15,737 in 2024
- 5 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2018 (5 births)
Popularity
Cloud: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Cloud from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 274 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
Cloud 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 Cloud during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Clouds live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. California, Texas, Minnesota recorded the most babies named Cloud, while Georgia, Florida, Minnesota recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 19 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Cloud
The given name Cloud is a modern invention, likely emerging in the late 20th century with the rise of the environmental movement and an increased appreciation for nature-inspired names. While it may have been used sporadically before, there is no evidence of it appearing in ancient texts or historical records as a traditional given name.
The word "cloud" itself has its roots in the Old English "clūd" and the Proto-Germanic "klūdaz," both referring to the fluffy masses of condensed water vapor in the sky. The name Cloud can be seen as a direct reference to these atmospheric phenomena, evoking imagery of the sky and nature.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the first name Cloud is Cloud Strife, the protagonist of the popular video game Final Fantasy VII, released in 1997. This fictional character played a significant role in popularizing the name, especially among fans of the game and science fiction enthusiasts.
In real life, one of the earliest notable individuals with the name Cloud is Cloud Cult, an American indie rock band formed in the early 1990s. The band's name was chosen by its founder, Craig Minowa, as a reference to his interest in environmental issues and his desire to create music that was "dreamy and atmospheric."
Another early example is Cloud van Ginkel, a Dutch artist and sculptor born in 1970. Known for his large-scale public installations, Van Ginkel's unusual first name became a part of his artistic identity and contributed to his recognition in the contemporary art world.
In the early 2000s, Cloud Nothings, an American indie rock band, gained popularity, further increasing the visibility of the name Cloud in the music scene. The band's frontman, Dylan Baldi, chose the name as a reflection of his interest in the ethereal and atmospheric aspects of shoegaze music.
A more recent example is Cloud Atlas, a 2012 science fiction film directed by the Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer, based on the novel of the same name by David Mitchell. While the name Cloud does not refer to a specific character in the film, it contributed to the overall theme of interconnectedness and the cyclical nature of life.
While the name Cloud remains relatively uncommon, its usage has been steadily increasing in recent decades, reflecting a broader trend towards unique and nature-inspired names in various cultures and communities around the world.
People
Cloud + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Cloud 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
Cloud: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Cloud?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 638 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Cloud 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 537,233 US residents.
Is Cloud a common name?
We classify Cloud as "Very Rare". It ranks above 86.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 736 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Cloud most popular?
The single biggest year for Cloud was 2020, when 55 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Cloud is about 11 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Cloud a male name?
Yes, 96.6% of people registered as Cloud 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.
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.