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.
- #1,264 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #2,885 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 9,307
- born since 1880
- 1960s
- peak decade
Yes -- Cliff is the #2885 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 #2885 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.
- #1,264 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #2,885 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 9,307 born since 1880
- 1960s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Cliff ranks #1,264 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #2,885 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 9,307 born since 1880, peaking in the 1960s.
- #1,264 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #2,885 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 9,307
- born since 1880
- 1960s
- peak decade
Cliff's 9,307 recorded births place it above 97.22% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
37 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Cliff compares
9,307 Top 9% higher than 91% of 13,930 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 (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 9,307 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 310 | 34 | 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 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
1960s is the heaviest window (1,976 births, 21% of the file).
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 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% |
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? ▼
Where does Cliff sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Cliff most popular? ▼
Where is Cliff most popular? ▼
How long has the name Cliff been used? ▼
What names are similar to Cliff? ▼
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
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
Compare Cliff side by side: Cliff vs Clifford Cliff vs Clinton Cliff vs Clifton
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Cliff
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Cliff: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1959)
Similar record span (~145 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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).
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 August 2026.