Total births
1,872
Boys' name · since 1912
Cliffton
1,872 babies named Cliffton in U.S. Social Security records since 1912, with the highest year being 1982. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #12438
- among boys today
- 1,872
- born since 1912
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 13%
- more common than other boys
Cliffton currently ranks #12438 among boys' names in America, with 1,872 babies recorded since 1912.
Social Security Administration records show Cliffton recorded 1,872 times among boys since 1912, holding rank #12438 nationally today, ahead of 13% of boys, peaking in the 1980s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1912 to 2025.
- #12438 among boys today
- 1,872 born since 1912
- 1980s peak decade
- 13% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Cliffton is currently the #12438 boys' name in America, more common than 13% of boys - 1,872 born since 1912, peaking in the 1980s.
- #12438
- among boys today
- 1,872
- born since 1912
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 13%
- more common than other boys
Cliffton vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#12438
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 13% of names given to boys today.
1980s
Peak decade
25% of everyone ever named Cliffton was born in this single decade.
1982
Single peak year
67 babies were named Cliffton in 1982 - its busiest year on record.
How Cliffton compares
1,872 Top 22% higher than 78% 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
Cliffton's all-time total is 5x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Cliffton | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,872 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 67 | 23 | 22,252 |
Cliffton's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Cliffton splits its recorded history at 1974: 64% of all births land in the more recent half, 36% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1912 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1982 peak of 67 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Cliffton at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1982
Current rank
#12,438
Active since
1912
Cliffton popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1912–2025
- Peak year (1982)
- 67
- Annual births at peak, across 114 years of records
Cliffton by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Cliffton's strongest decade.
468 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 25% of all-time use.
Cliffton births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 39
1910s
39 births
- 1920s 46
1920s
46 births
- 1930s 31
1930s
31 births
- 1940s 73
1940s
73 births
- 1950s 181
1950s
181 births
- 1960s
1960s
200 births
- 1970s
1970s
412 births
- 1980s
1980s
468 births
- 1990s
1990s
199 births
- 2000s 121
2000s
121 births
- 2010s 80
2010s
80 births
- 2020s 22
2020s
22 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 468 births (25% of all-time use).
How Cliffton 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 Cliffton's total volume
Cliffton vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Cliffton by state
Where Cliffton concentrates geographically, total births since 1912
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 124 | 6.6% |
| #2 | California | | 18 | 1.0% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 15 | 0.8% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 11 | 0.6% |
| #5 | Florida | | 10 | 0.5% |
| #6 | Alabama | | 5 | 0.3% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 5 | 0.3% |
| #8 | North Carolina | | 5 | 0.3% |
Texas share of Cliffton's total US births 6.6%
Even split
124 of 1,872 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 9 reporting states.
Cliffton appears in 9 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Cliffton? ▼
Cliffton has been given to 1,872 babies in the U.S. since 1912, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #12438 as of the latest data. 67 babies were born in 1982, its single highest year.
When was Cliffton most popular? ▼
Cliffton was most popular in the 1980s decade with 468 total births. The single peak year was 1982.
Where is Cliffton most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Cliffton are Texas (124 births), California (18 births), Ohio (15 births).
How long has the name Cliffton been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Cliffton since 1912 -- 114 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Cliffton? ▼
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 Cliffton's data
- Cliffton's decade-level peak was the 1980s (468 total births); usage has since declined to 22 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Clifftons (124 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas 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 Cliffton
Nearby Names Like Cliffton
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Cliffton
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 Cliffton side by side: Cliffton vs Clifford Cliffton vs Clinton Cliffton vs Clifton
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Cliffton
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, 1912–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Cliffton: #12438 Boys' Name - 1,872 Births, Peak 1982." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/cliffton. 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 Cliffton 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.