Total births
9,307
Boys' name · since 1880
Cliff
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 9,307 babies named Cliff, peaking in 1959. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #3002
- among boys today
- 9,307
- born since 1880
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 79%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Cliff is the #3002 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 9,307 recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Cliff has been recorded 9,307 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #3002 nationally and more common than 79% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1960s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #3002 among boys today
- 9,307 born since 1880
- 1960s peak decade
- 79% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Cliff is currently the #3002 boys' name in America, more common than 79% of boys - 9,307 born since 1880, peaking in the 1960s.
- #3002
- among boys today
- 9,307
- born since 1880
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 79%
- more common than other boys
Cliff vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#3002
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 79% of names given to boys today.
1960s
Peak decade
21% of everyone ever named Cliff was born in this single decade.
1959
Single peak year
310 babies were named Cliff in 1959 - its busiest year on record.
How Cliff compares
9,307 Top 9% higher than 91% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Cliff's all-time total is 25x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Cliff | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 9,307 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 310 | 23 | 22,252 |
Cliff's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Cliff's full recorded timeline at 1953, 68% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 32% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1881, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1959 peak of 310 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Cliff at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1959
Current rank
#3,002
Active since
1880
Cliff popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1959)
- 310
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Cliff by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1960s was Cliff's strongest decade.
1,976 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 21% of all-time use.
Cliff births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 132
1880s
132 births
- 1890s 157
1890s
157 births
- 1900s 194
1900s
194 births
- 1910s 357
1910s
357 births
- 1920s 404
1920s
404 births
- 1930s 545
1930s
545 births
- 1940s
1940s
910 births
- 1950s
1950s
1,567 births
- 1960s
1960s
1,976 births
- 1970s
1970s
1,061 births
- 1980s
1980s
1,082 births
- 1990s 323
1990s
323 births
- 2000s 173
2000s
173 births
- 2010s 194
2010s
194 births
- 2020s 232
2020s
232 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 1,976 births (21% of all-time use).
How Cliff compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Cliff's total volume
Cliff vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Cliff by state
Where Cliff concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 884 | 9.5% |
| #2 | Texas | | 690 | 7.4% |
| #3 | New York | | 504 | 5.4% |
| #4 | Georgia | | 237 | 2.5% |
| #5 | Florida | | 233 | 2.5% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 209 | 2.2% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 181 | 1.9% |
| #8 | Alabama | | 158 | 1.7% |
California share of Cliff's total US births 9.5%
Even split
884 of 9,307 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 37 reporting states.
Cliff appears in 37 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Cliff? ▼
9,307 babies have been named Cliff since 1880. It currently ranks #3002 among boys. The peak year was 1959 with 310 births.
When was Cliff most popular? ▼
Cliff was most popular in the 1960s decade with 1,976 total births. The single peak year was 1959.
Where is Cliff most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Cliff are California (884 births), Texas (690 births), New York (504 births).
How long has the name Cliff been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Cliff since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Cliff? ▼
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 Cliff's data
- Cliff's decade-level peak was the 1960s (1,976 total births); usage has since declined to 232 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Cliffs (884 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- 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 Cliff
Nearby Names Like Cliff
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Cliff
Clifford Boy
#1341 188,249 births
Clinton Boy
#1922 97,567 births
Clifton Boy
#1735 70,249 births
Clint Boy
#2419 32,731 births
Clive Boy
#2043 3,336 births
Compare Cliff side by side: Cliff vs Clifford Cliff vs Clinton Cliff vs Clifton
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Cliff
Data Sources
Data as of June 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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Cliff: #3002 Boys' Name - 9,307 Births, Peak 1959." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/cliff. 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 Cliff 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 June 2026.