A FIELD REPORT ON THE NAME

Clifton

/ˈklɪftən/ · boy name · outside the top 1,000 in 2025
creased · deliberate · buttoned

Origin & Meaning

AI-Written
Derived from an Old English habitational surname meaning settlement near a cliff. It crossed into given name use in Britain before settling into steady American circulation throughout the late nineteenth century. In the United States, it maintained an uninterrupted run across the entire span of federal record-keeping.
Also answers toCliff, Clif

Fig. 1 — Births per annum, 1880–2025

SSA Data
1880 peak: 1,224 souls, A.D. 1975 2025
2025: 82 born, falling ↘
Estimated Age
55 yrs
Most Cliftons were born around 1975 — has dialed a rotary phone in earnest.
Peak Reign
1975
№186 that year
Generation
Boomer, 33%
then Gen X 29% · Millennial 20%
Rarity
Top 2000 all-time
≈71K ever born · now falling
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Estimates from SSA birth records and standard survival rates. Immigration and name changes not counted.

Clifton grew up with

SSA Data
Saturday-morning cartoons·the Rubik's Cube·roller rinks

Generation Distribution — Living Cliftons

SSA Data
Silent 8%Boomer 33%Gen X 29%Millennial 20%Gen Z 7%Gen Alpha 4%

Data vs. Humans

What the data says

SSA Data
SSA: Clifton peaked in 1975.
Estimated average age: 55.

What people think

Opinion Ledger
Awaiting human data — cast the first votes.
Clifton sounds like someone born in —

Fig. 2 — Style Coordinates

AI Seed · Votes Override at n=30
Vintage Modern
Formal Casual
Soft Strong
Cast your vote No account · one tap
In your mind, Clifton sounds more like a —
Voting opens when the ledger goes live. No account. 24h cooldown per question.

Public Opinion Ledger

Ledger Opens Soon
The public has not yet weighed in on Clifton. Early ballots carry the most weight.

First Impressions

AI-Written
A Clifton sounds like someone who keeps a legible maintenance log in the glove compartment. The name reached its high-water mark in the mid-1970s, giving its typical bearer a solid Gen X or late-Boomer footing. It carries a certain rural or small-town gravity without sounding folksy. Today, encountering a five-year-old Clifton usually means a grandfather was involved in the decision.

Field Notes

AI-Written
Field Note 01
The name reached its single-year peak in 1975, when about one thousand American boys received it.
Field Note 02
With an average age of 55, the majority of living Cliftons were born between the mid-1950s and the late 1970s.
Field Note 03
Annual usage has drifted downward since the late twentieth century, with fewer than ninety births recorded in recent tallies.

Notable Cliftons

AI-Written
Clifton Webbstage and film actor, b. 1889
Clifton Chenierzydeco accordionist and singer, b. 1925
Clifton Davisactor and songwriter, b. 1945
Clifton Collins Jr.character actor, b. 1970

Adjacent Names

Ephemera — If Clifton were a…

AI-Written
City
Roanoke
Color
Muted Ochre
Job
County surveyor
And what of your name?