Recent in Baby
When Baby Resists SolidsWhen Baby Resists SolidsBaby Biting TipsBaby Biting Tips5 Tips To Help Prevent Highchair Injuries5 Tips To Help Prevent Highchair InjuriesWhen Baby and Pet MeetWhen Baby and Pet MeetTreatments for ColicTreatments for ColicBaby Milestones – The First YearBaby Milestones – The First YearTips for Relieving Teething PainTips for Relieving Teething PainBenefits of Making Your Own Baby FoodBenefits of Making Your Own Baby Food

Home › Baby Names Directory › Heathcliff

Heathcliff

♂ Boy

Pronounced HEETH-klif /ˈhiːθ.klɪf/High

Meaning: An English name joining 'heath' (open moorland) and 'cliff,' giving 'heath by a cliff.' It is best known as the name of the brooding hero of Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights, which we note.Low

In 30 seconds: A moody two-beat name: Heathcliff means 'heath by a cliff,' famous from Wuthering Heights (said 'HEETH-klif'). A literary pick we note.
💕 Browse more names
Origin MediumEnglish
MeaningAn English name joining 'heath' (open moorland) and 'cliff,' giving 'heath by a cliff.' It is best known as the name of the brooding hero of Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights, which we note.
U.S. rank (2024)#12938 ↘ Falling
2024 U.S. births5 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year2020
Total births (all-time)≈ 26

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 202020112024

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

Heathcliff is an English name from 'heath' (open moorland) and 'cliff,' meaning 'heath by a cliff.' It is inseparable from the stormy hero of Emily Bronte's novel Wuthering Heights (1847), which lends it a wild, romantic feel, and it reads as literary and dramatic, which we note (said 'HEETH-klif').

In the U.S. it appears very rarely as a given name. Rare, literary, and moody.

Did you know? Heathcliff joins 'heath' and 'cliff' — 'heath by a cliff' — and belongs to the brooding hero of Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights, giving it a wild, romantic air, which we note (said 'HEETH-klif').
Overall data confidence 50%
References — Heathcliff — English literary name (Wuthering Heights), 'heath by a cliff'; noted

Variations

HeathcliffeHeathcliffHeath

Nicknames

HeathCliff

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Heathcliff…

Heath— the short form within Heathcliff
Cliff— the second half of Heathcliff
Bronte— a like literary Bronte-linked name
Holden— a fellow English choice
Henley— shares Heathcliff's English roots

Explore names like Heathcliff

By themeenglishnatureliterarydramatic
By meaningRock / Stone

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Heathcliff mean?

Heathcliff joins 'heath' and 'cliff' — 'heath by a cliff' — best known from Wuthering Heights, which we note.

How do you pronounce Heathcliff?

It's said HEETH-klif /ˈhiːθ.klɪf/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Heathcliff a boy or girl name?

Heathcliff is used as a boy's name.

How popular is Heathcliff?

Heathcliff is a very rare name in the U.S.

💬 Ask Nia