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Home › Baby Names Directory › Clove

Clove

♀ Girl

Pronounced KLOHV /ˈkloʊv/High

Meaning: The English word for the aromatic spice, from the French clou and Latin clavus, 'nail' — named for the dried bud's nail-like shape. As a name it reads as the spice, which we note; a character called Clove also appears in The Hunger Games.Medium

In 30 seconds: A one-beat spice name: Clove comes from the Latin clavus, 'nail,' for the bud's shape (said 'KLOHV').
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Origin MediumEnglish, Latin
MeaningThe English word for the aromatic spice, from the French clou and Latin clavus, 'nail' — named for the dried bud's nail-like shape. As a name it reads as the spice, which we note; a character called Clove also appears in The Hunger Games.
U.S. rank (2024)#13803 ↘ Falling
2024 U.S. births6 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year2023
Total births (all-time)≈ 50

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 202320192024

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

Clove is the English word for the warm baking spice, from French clou and Latin clavus, 'nail,' after the shape of the dried bud. As a given name it is very rare and reads as the spice, which we note; a tribute named Clove also appears in The Hunger Games. Crisp and aromatic (said 'KLOHV').

It appears very rarely in U.S. data. Rare, spice-warm, and one-beat.

Did you know? A clove is literally a little nail — the word comes from the Latin clavus, because the dried flower bud looks just like one (said 'KLOHV').
Overall data confidence 45%
References — Clove — English spice word; Latin clavus 'nail'; Hunger Games character

Variations

CloverClovieClova

Nicknames

CloCovie

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Clove…

Clover— a near-twin nature word name
Sage— a like herb word name
Juniper— a like botanical pick
Saffron— a like spice word name

Explore names like Clove

By themeword-nameshortnaturespice

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Clove mean?

Clove is the English word for the spice, from the Latin clavus, 'nail' — named for the bud's shape.

How do you pronounce Clove?

It's said KLOHV /ˈkloʊv/ — one syllable.

Is Clove a boy or girl name?

Clove is recorded here as a girl's name; it is chiefly a word.

How popular is Clove?

Clove is very rare as a given name in the U.S.

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