Total births
199
Boys' name · since 1945
Clif
Clif has 199 recorded births since 1945 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1959 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- 199
- total births
- 1945–1981
- years on record
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 45%
- born in that decade
Clif is not among the current top-ranked boys names; 199 have been recorded since 1945.
Social Security Administration records show Clif recorded 199 times among boys since 1945, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used boys names, peaking in the 1950s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1945 to 1981.
- 199 total births
- 1945–1981 years on record
- 1950s peak decade
- 45% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
199 boys have been named Clif since 1945, peaking in the 1950s, last recorded in 1981.
- 199
- total births
- 1945–1981
- years on record
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 45%
- born in that decade
1950s
Peak decade
45% of everyone ever named Clif was born in this single decade.
1959
Single peak year
19 babies were named Clif in 1959 - its busiest year on record.
Clif's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Clif's full recorded timeline at 1961, 44% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 56% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1962, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1959 peak of 19 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Clif at a glance
Last recorded 1981Peak year
1959
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1945
Clif popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1945–1981
- Peak year (1959)
- 19
- Annual births at peak, across 37 years of records
Clif by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Clif's strongest decade.
90 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 45% of all-time use.
Clif births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1940s 12
1940s
12 births
- 1950s
1950s
90 births
- 1960s
1960s
78 births
- 1970s 7
1970s
7 births
- 1980s 12
1980s
12 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 90 births (45% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Clif? ▼
Clif has been given to 199 babies in the U.S. since 1945, according to SSA data. Its last appearance in the data was 1981. 19 babies were born in 1959, its single highest year.
When was Clif most popular? ▼
Clif was most popular in the 1950s decade with 90 total births. The single peak year was 1959.
How long has the name Clif been used? ▼
Records for Clif go back to 1945, giving 37 years of history through 1981.
What names are similar to Clif? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Clifford, Clinton, Clifton, Clint, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Clif's data
- Clif's decade-level peak was the 1950s (90 total births); usage has since declined to 12 in the 1980s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Clif
Nearby Names Like Clif
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Clif
Clifford Boy
#1341 188,249 births
Clinton Boy
#1922 97,567 births
Clifton Boy
#1735 70,249 births
Clint Boy
#2419 32,731 births
Cliff Boy
#3002 9,307 births
Compare Clif side by side: Clif vs Clifford Clif vs Clinton Clif vs Clifton
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of July 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1945–1981 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Clif: Baby Name Since 1945 - 199 Births, Peak 1959." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/clif. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Clif draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of July 2026.