Total births
70,249
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.
- #1735
- among boys today
- 70,249
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 88%
- more common than other boys
Clifton currently ranks #1735 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 #1735 nationally today, ahead of 88% 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.
- #1735 among boys today
- 70,249 born since 1880
- 1950s peak decade
- 88% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Clifton is currently the #1735 boys' name in America, more common than 88% of boys - 70,249 born since 1880, peaking in the 1950s.
- #1735
- among boys today
- 70,249
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 88%
- more common than other boys
Clifton vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1735
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 88% of names given to boys today.
1950s
Peak decade
14% of everyone ever named Clifton was born in this single decade.
1975
Single peak year
1,214 babies were named Clifton in 1975 - its busiest year on record.
How Clifton compares
70,249 Top 3% higher than 97% 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
Clifton's all-time total is 191x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Clifton | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 70,249 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 1,214 | 23 | 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 at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1975
Current rank
#1,735
Active since
1880
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
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
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 vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
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% |
Texas share of Clifton's total US births 10.0%
Even split
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? ▼
70,249 babies have been named Clifton since 1880. It currently ranks #1735 among boys. The peak year was 1975 with 1,214 births.
When was Clifton most popular? ▼
Clifton was most popular in the 1950s decade with 9,881 total births. The single peak year was 1975.
Where is Clifton most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Clifton are Texas (7,037 births), North Carolina (5,775 births), Louisiana (3,944 births).
How long has the name Clifton been used? ▼
Records for Clifton go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Clifton? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Clifford, Clinton, Clint, Cliff, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
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
- 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 Clifton
Nearby Names Like Clifton
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Clifton
Clifford Boy
#1341 188,249 births
Clinton Boy
#1922 97,567 births
Clint Boy
#2419 32,731 births
Cliff Boy
#3002 9,307 births
Clive Boy
#2043 3,336 births
Compare Clifton side by side: Clifton vs Clifford Clifton vs Clinton Clifton vs Clint
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Clifton
Xion #1734
1,003 births · Peak 2024
Josh #1736
17,288 births · Peak 1979
Kyrin #1733
2,099 births · Peak 2017
Malcom #1737
5,864 births · Peak 1992
Pharaoh #1732
1,992 births · Peak 2019
Presley #1738
4,945 births · Peak 2009
Taha #1731
2,424 births · Peak 2014
Ignatius #1739
4,075 births · Peak 2025
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. "Clifton: #1735 Boys' Name - 70,249 Births, Peak 1975." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/clifton. 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 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 June 2026.