Boys' name · since 1880
Clifton
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 70,249 babies named Clifton, peaking in 1975. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #404 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #1,908 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 70,249
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
Clifton currently ranks #1908 among boys' names in America, with 70,249 babies recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Clifton recorded 70,249 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #1908 nationally today, ahead of 86% of boys, 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 1880 to 2025.
- #404 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #1,908 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 70,249 born since 1880
- 1950s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Clifton ranks #404 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #1,908 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 70,249 born since 1880, peaking in the 1950s.
- #404 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #1,908 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 70,249
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
Clifton's 70,249 recorded births place it above 99.11% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
49 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Texas.
How Clifton compares
70,249 Top 3% higher than 97% 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
Clifton's all-time total is 190x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Clifton | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 70,249 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 1,214 | 34 | 22,252 |
Clifton's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Clifton splits its recorded history at 1953: 50% of all births land in the more recent half, 50% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1883 (26 births) -- compare that against the 1975 peak of 1,214 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Clifton popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1975)
- 1,214
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Clifton popularity over time - girls
436 total births recorded since 1908 (Clifton as girls' name)
Clifton by decade
1950s is the heaviest window (9,881 births, 14% of the file).
1950s was Clifton's strongest decade.
9,881 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 14% of all-time use.
Clifton births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 456
1880s
456 births
- 1890s 815
1890s
815 births
- 1900s 1,197
1900s
1,197 births
- 1910s
1910s
6,103 births
- 1920s
1920s
8,732 births
- 1930s
1930s
6,857 births
- 1940s
1940s
8,148 births
- 1950s
1950s
9,881 births
- 1960s
1960s
7,617 births
- 1970s
1970s
7,805 births
- 1980s
1980s
6,391 births
- 1990s 2,941
1990s
2,941 births
- 2000s 1,647
2000s
1,647 births
- 2010s 1,096
2010s
1,096 births
- 2020s 563
2020s
563 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 9,881 births (14% of all-time use).
How Clifton 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 Clifton's total volume
Clifton by state
Where Clifton concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 7,037 | 10.0% |
| #2 | North Carolina | | 5,775 | 8.2% |
| #3 | Louisiana | | 3,944 | 5.6% |
| #4 | Mississippi | | 3,928 | 5.6% |
| #5 | Virginia | | 3,725 | 5.3% |
| #6 | California | | 2,624 | 3.7% |
| #7 | Alabama | | 2,414 | 3.4% |
| #8 | New York | | 2,382 | 3.4% |
7,037 of 70,249 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 49 reporting states.
Clifton appears in 49 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Clifton? ▼
Where does Clifton sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Clifton most popular? ▼
Where is Clifton most popular? ▼
How long has the name Clifton been used? ▼
What names are similar to Clifton? ▼
What to do with Clifton's data
- Clifton's decade-level peak was the 1950s (9,881 total births); usage has since declined to 563 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Cliftons (7,037 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Clifton
Nearby Names Like Clifton
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Clifton
Compare Clifton side by side: Clifton vs Clifford Clifton vs Clinton Clifton vs Clint
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Clifton
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Clifton: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1975)
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 Clifton 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.