Cleve
Meaning of Cleve
Cleve traces back to the Old English word clif, meaning “cliff” or “riverbank,” and began life as a locational surname before emerging as a given name in Anglo-American usage. Pronounced kleev (/kliːv/), it first registered modest popularity in the late 19th century—peaking with several dozen births per year in the 1880s—then gradually declined to fewer than ten annual U.S. occurrences in the early 21st century. Today, Cleve is recognized as a unisex name whose concise, one-syllable form and natural-world etymology confer a quietly solid character. Though it seldom breaks modern top-500 charts, its restrained sound and historical depth may appeal to parents seeking an understated yet distinctive choice.
Pronunciation
English
- Pronunced as kleev (/kliːv/)
U.S. Popularity Chart
Notable People Named Cleve
| Cleve Jones is an American AIDS and LGBT rights activist who conceived the AIDS Memorial Quilt and co-founded the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. |
| Cleve Moler was an American mathematician and programmer who created MATLAB and co-founded MathWorks. |
| Cleve Hall was an American special effects artist, makeup artist and actor known for starring in the Syfy reality series Monster Man. |
| Cleve McDiarmid - Daniel McDiarmid was an Australian rules footballer who played for Geelong in the Victorian Football League. |
