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Clive

♂ Boy

Pronounced KLYEV /ˈklaɪv/Medium

Meaning: CliffMedium

In 30 seconds: Clive is an English name meaning 'cliff', from a word for a steep bank or slope.

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Origin MediumEnglish

MeaningCliff

U.S. rank (2024)#2056 ↗ Rising

2024 U.S. births73 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year2016

Total births (all-time)≈ 3,279

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

It grew out of an English place name and surname describing someone who lived by a cliff or steep slope. Plain and grounded in landscape, it became established as a first name in English-speaking countries.

Clive has a brisk, single-syllable strength to it. Bearers include the Nobel-winning economist Clive Granger and the actor Clive Brook, an early screen Sherlock Holmes.

Did you know? Clive likely reached first-name use through a surname or place-name route, which gives it that modern borrowed-from-history feel.

Overall data confidence 78%

Behind the Name - Clive — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

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Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

★Clive Granger (1934–2009)
British economist, co-recipient of the 2003 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences.
★Clive Brook (1887–1974)
English film and stage actor, an early Sherlock Holmes on screen.

If you like Clive…

Clifford— Another English name built on the same 'cliff' element.

Heath— An English nature name, like Clive drawn from a feature of the landscape.

Cove— a similarly popular pick

Steve— another English name

Dave— shares the -ve ending

Explore names like Clive

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Clive mean?

Clive is usually explained as meaning 'cliff' and is most often linked with English tradition.

How do you pronounce Clive?

It's commonly said KLYEV /ˈklaɪv/.

Is Clive a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Clive is used as a boy name.

How popular is Clive?

In 2024, Clive ranked #2056 in the U.S. for boys, with 73 births recorded.