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Clif
How to Pronounce Clif
Pronounced KLIF /ˈklɪf/Medium
Meaning: Clif is a trimmed spelling of Cliff, the short form of Clifford ('ford by the cliff') and Clifton ('town by the cliff'), both Old English place-and-surname names. Dropping a letter gives the everyday nickname a lean, informal look.Low
Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.
SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.
History & Origin
Clif is a spare spelling of Cliff, the short form of Clifford and Clifton, Old English names describing a settlement or crossing by a cliff. As a stand-alone first name it belongs to the mid-century taste for breezy, clipped forms.
It was never common in the United States, given to only about twenty boys a year even at its peak around 1959, always trailing Cliff and Clifford. A boy named Clif then is in his sixties now.
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Clif mean?
It is a short form of Clifford or Clifton, Old English names meaning a ford or town 'by the cliff.'
How do you pronounce Clif?
It is said KLIF /ˈklɪf/, with the stress as marked.
Is Clif a boy or girl name?
Clif is used here as a boy's name.
How popular is Clif?
It has always been rare in the United States, given to only about twenty boys a year even at its peak in the late nineteen-fifties.