Clifford

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Clifford

Gender: Masculine
Language: English
Etymology:
Clifford is an English surname coming from a place name meaning “Ford at the Cliff” from “cliff” and “ford.”

History:
Clifford the surname first began appearing as a first name in the late 19th century.

Pronunciation: cliff-ord.

Diminutives:
English: Cliff.

Alternates: Clyford.

Famous Bearers:
Artists and Authors:
Clifford Simak (1904-1988)
American writer.
Sir Clifford Curzon (1907-1992)
British pianist.
Clifford Brown (1930-1956)
American jazz musician.

Educators, Scholars, and Social Workers:
Clifford Beers (1876-1943)
Founded the “mental hygiene movement.”
Clifford Douglas (1879-1952)
British economist.
Sir Clifford Darby (1909-1992)
British geographer.
Clifford Geertz (1926-)
American anthropologist.
Clifford Charles Lamberg-Karlovs (1937-)
American anthropologist and archeologist.

Fictional Characters:
Clifford, the Big Red Dog
From a series of children’s books.

Political Figures:
Clifford Alexander (1933-)
American cabinet member.

Scientists:
Clifford Holland (1883-1924)
British civil engineer.
Clifford G. Shull (1915-)
American physicist. Co-winner of the 1994 Nobel Prize for Physics.

Singers and Entertainers:
Clifford Odets (1906-1963)
American dramatist.
Cliff Richard (Harry Roger Webb) (1940-)
British singer.

Popularity:
Percentage from the 1990 U.S. Census:
0.123 % named Clifford
0.012 % named Cliff

Popularity of Clifford:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1875: 156th most popular.
1900-1910: 63rd most popular.
1910-1920: 59th most popular.
1920-1930: 64th most popular.
1930-1940: 83rd most popular.
1940-1950: 104th most popular.
1950-1960: 119th most popular.
1960-1970: 160th most popular.
1970-1980: 221st most popular.
1980-1990: 249th most popular.
1990: 362nd most popular.
1991: 404th most popular.
1992: 429th most popular.
1993: 460th most popular.
1994: 521st most popular.
1995: 550th most popular.
1996: 546th most popular.
1997: 577th most popular.
1998: 665th most popular.
1999: 625th most popular.
2000: 746th most popular.
2001: 735th most popular.
2002: 854th most popular.
2003: 940th most popular.

Popularity of Cliff:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1900-1910: 712th most popular.
1910-1930: N/A
1930-1940: 926th most popular.
1940-1950: 722nd most popular.
1950-1960: 624th most popular.
1960-1970: 528th most popular.
1970-1980: 801st most popular.
1980-2000: N/A