Clifford (name)

Clifford

Pronunciation	/ˈklɪfɜːrd/ KLIF-erd
Gender	Male
Origin
Language(s)	Old English
Meaning	Ford by a cliff
Other names
Derivative(s)	Cliff
Related names	Clifton

Clifford is both a toponymic surname of English origin and a given name deriving from it. It originated in several English placenames meaning "ford by a cliff". ^[1]

People

Given name

• Clifford Andrews (1912–1973), English athlete in cricket
• Clifford Antone (1949–2006), American musical producer and club owner
• Clifford Warren Ashley (1881–1947), American artist, author
• Clifford Bax (1886–1962), English author and playwright
• Clifford Berry (1918–1963), American inventor
• Clifford Blackmore, Kansas politician
• Clifford Edmund Bosworth (1928–2015), English professor, historian
• Clifford Bricker (1904–1980), Canadian long-distance runner
• Clifford Brown (1930–1956), American musician (jazz trumpeter)
• Cliff Burton (1962–1986), American musician (bass guitarist, Metallica)
• Clifford Campbell (1892–1991), Jamaican political figure
• Clifford Carlson (1894–1964), American athlete in basketball
• Clifford Carter (fl. 1980s-present), American musician
• Clifford P. Case (1904–1982), American attorney and political figure
• Clifford Chapin (born 1988), American voice actor working with Funimation
• Cliff Clavin, fictional character on the television series Cheers
• Cliff Couser (Clifford Couser, born 1971), American athlete in boxing
• Clifford Ann Creed (born 1938), American female athlete in golf
• Clifford Curry (1936–2016), American singer
• Cliff Curtis (born 1968), New Zealand Actor
• Clifford Curzon (1907–1982), English musician (piano)
• Clifford David (1938–2017), American actor
• Cliff Davies (musician) (1948–2008), English musician (rock drummer)
• Clifford Davis (politician) (1897–1970), American political figure
• Clifford Davis (music manager) (fl. 1960s–1980s), American musician and manager of musical groups
• Clifford Dupont (1905–1978), English-born political figure in Rhodesia
• Clifford Durr (1899–1975), American attorney and civil rights activist
• Clifford John Earle Jr. (1935–2017), American mathematician
• Clifford M. Eddy (C. M. Eddy Jr., 1896–1967), American author
• Cliff Edwards (footballer) (1921–1989), English footballer
• Clifford Evans (disambiguation), several people
• Clifford Forsythe (1929–2000), Northern Ireland political figure
• Clifford Brodie Frith (born 1949), English-born Australian ornithologist
• Clifford Geertz (1926–2006), American anthropologist
• Clifford Goldstein (born 1955), American author, Seventh-day Adventist editor
• Clifford Goodman (1866–1911), Barbados athlete in cricket
• Chris Graham (boxer) (Clifford Graham, 1900–1986), Canadian boxer
• Clifford Grey (1887–1941), British songwriter, actor (also known as Clifford Gray)
• Cliff Hammonds (born 1985), American basketball player
• Clifford Hansen (1912–2009), American politician
• Clifford Harper (born 1949), English illustrator, anarchist
• Clifford Joseph Harris Jr., known professionally as T.I. (born 1980), American musician and producer
• Clifford C. Hastings (1882–1946), New York politician
• Clifford Heatherley (1888–1937), English film actor
• Clifford Husbands (1926–2017), Barbados political figure
• Clifford Irving (1930–2017), American author
• Clifford Irving (politician) (1914–2004), British political figure (Isle of Man)
• Clifford Jarvis (1941–1997), American musician (rock drummer)
• Clifford Jordan (1931–1993), American musician (jazz saxophone)
• Cliff Kincaid (born 1954), American investigative journalist
• Clifford Alan King, American engineer
• Clifford Henry Benn Kitchin (C. H. B. Kitchin, 1895–1967), British author
• Clifford J. Laube (1891–1974), American Catholic poet, editor and publisher
• Clifford Lincoln (born 1928), Canadian political figure
• Carwood Lipton (Clifford Carwood Lipton, 1920–2001), British military figure
• Clifford Lofvegren (1903–1969), American businessman, farmer, and politician
• Clifford Longley, English journalist and author
• Clifford Sibusiso Mamba (born 1963), Swazi diplomat and former Olympic athlete
• Clifford J. MacGregor (1904–1985), American meteorologist, Arctic explorer and naval aviator
• Clifford May (born 1951), American author, political activist
• Cliff McWatt (Clifford McWatt, 1922–1997), West Indian athlete in cricket
• Clifford Meth (born 1961), American author
• Clifford Mulenga (born 1987), Zambian athlete in football
• Clifford Nass (1958–2013), American professor (Communications), author
• Clifford Odets (1906–1963), American playwright, screenwriter, social activist
• Clifford A. Pickover (born c. 1958), American mathematician, author
• Cliff Pilkey (Clifford Pilkey, 1928–2012), Canadian politician and trade union leader
• Clifford Joseph Purpur, known as Fido Purpur (1912–2001), American athlete in hockey
• Clifford Ray (born 1949), American athlete in basketball
• Cliff Robinson (basketball, born 1960), American athlete in basketball
• Clifford Robinson (basketball, born 1966), American athlete in basketball
• Clifford Rose (1929–2021), British actor
• Clifford Ross (born 1952), American artist
• Ronnie Shows (Clifford Ronald "Ronnie" Shows, born 1947), American political figure
• Clifford Shull (1915–2001), American physicist (Nobel Prize)
• Clifford Sifton (1861–1929), Canadian political figure
• Clifford D. Simak (1904–1988), American author (science fiction)
• Clifford Ian Simpson, known professionally as Kevin Abstract (born 1996), leader of boy band Brockhampton
• Clifford Smith, known professionally as Method Man (born 1971), American rap singer
• Cliff Spink (Clifford Spink, fl. 1980s-present), British military officer (Royal Air Force)
• Clifford Stein (born c. 1965), American computer scientist
• Clifford Stoll (born c. 1956), American astronomer, computer expert, author
• Clifford Taubes (born 1954), American mathematician
• Clifford Thornton (1939–1989), American musician (jazz trumpet, trombone)
• Clifford Joseph Trahan, known professionally as Johnny Rebel (singer) (1938–2016), American musician
• Clifford Truesdell (1919–2000), American mathematician, historian
• Clifford A. Ukkelberg (1904–1996), American farmer and politician
• Clifford Walker (cricketer) (1919–1992), British athlete in cricket
• Clifford B. Wilson (1879–1943), American political figure
• Clifford A. Wolff (born 1970), American attorney

Surname

• Henry Clifford, 10th Baron Clifford
• The Clifford family, an English noble family
• The Clifford family (bankers), a family of English bankers active in the Netherlands
• Alfred H. Clifford (1908–1992), American mathematician
• Anne Clifford (theologian) (1944–2024), American theologian
• Lady Anne Clifford (1590–1676), Countess of Pembroke
• Augustus Clifford (1788–1877), British naval officer and court official
• Bede Clifford (1890–1969), Governor of Mauritius from 1937 to 1942
• Betsy Clifford (born 1953), Canadian female athlete in skiing
• Reese Buzz Clifford (1941–2018), American pop singer and songwriter
• Charles Clifford (disambiguation), several people
• Sir Charles Clifford, 1st Baronet (1813–1893), New Zealand politician
• Clark Clifford (1906–1998), American Secretary of Defense
• Conor Clifford (born 1991), Irish athlete in football
• Daniel Clifford (disambiguation) (or Dan), several people
• Dermot Clifford (born 1939), English religious figure
• Dennis Clifford (born 1992), American basketball player
• Doug Clifford (born 1945), American musician, member of Creedence Clearwater Revival
• Edward Clifford (1844–1907), English artist and author
• Eleanor Clifford, Countess of Cumberland (Born Eleanor Brandon, 1519–1547), English noblewoman
• Esmond Clifford (1895–1970), British Royal Engineers officer
• Francis Clifford (author) (1917–1975), pen name of Arthur Leonard Bell Thompson, author
• George Clifford (disambiguation), several people
• George Clifford (footballer) (1896–?), English athlete in cricket
• George Clifford III, who engaged the Swedish naturalist Carl von Linné to write Hortus Cliffortianus
• Gerald Francis Clifford (1889–1952), Wisconsin lawyer, politician and executive of the Green Bay Packers
• Gordon Clifford (rugby league), Australian rugby league footballer
• Gordon Clifford (lyricist) (1902–1968), American lyricist
• Graeme Clifford (born 1942), Australian film editor
• Grahame Clifford (1905–1984), English opera singer
• Henry Clifford, 1st Earl of Cumberland (1493–1542), British member of nobility in Skipton
• Henry Hugh Clifford (1826–1883), British army officer
• Howard J. Clifford (fl. 1930s), American political figure in Michigan
• Hugh Clifford (colonial administrator) (1866–1941), British colonial administrator
• Hughie Clifford (1866–1929), Scottish athlete in football
• Jack Clifford (disambiguation), several people
• James Clifford (historian) (born 1945), American university professor in California
• James Clifford (musician) (1622–1698), English religious figure and musician
• Jo Clifford (born 1951), British playwright
• John Clifford (disambiguation), several people
• John Clifford, 9th Baron Clifford (1435–1461), British military leader
• John Clifford (choreographer), former New York City Ballet principal dancer
• John Garry Clifford (1942–2014), American historian
• Johnny Clifford (1934–2007), Irish athlete in hurling
• Joyce Clifford (1935–2011), founder of primary nursing
• J. R. Clifford (1848–1933), American attorney, civil rights pioneer
• Kyle Clifford (born 1991), Canadian ice hockey player
• Linda Clifford (born 1944), American female musician and singer
• Lucy Clifford (1846–1929), British female author
• Margaret Clifford, Countess of Cumberland (born Margaret Russell, 1560–1616), English noblewoman
• Max Clifford (1943–2017), English publicist
• Michael Gordon Clifford (born 1995), Australian guitarist from the band 5 Seconds of Summer
• Michael R. Clifford (1952–2021), American astronaut
• Mike Clifford (born 1943), American singer-songwriter and actor
• Nathan Clifford (1803–1881), American statesman, diplomat and jurist
• Nique Clifford (born 2002), American basketball player
• Patrick Clifford (disambiguation), several people
• Paul Clifford (cricketer) (born 1976), English athlete in cricket
• Richard Clifford (died 1421), British religious figure
• Robert Clifford (disambiguation), several people
• Rosamund Clifford (c. 1150 – 1176), "Fair Rosamund", mistress of Henry II of England
• Ross Clifford (born 1951), Australian radio personality, author
• Sean Clifford (born 1998), American football player
• Sian Clifford (born 1982), English actress
• Simon Clifford (born 1970), English football coach
• Stormy Daniels (born 1979), American pornstar, real name Stephanie A. Gregory Clifford
• Thomas Clifford (disambiguation), several people
• Thomas Clifford, 1st Baron Clifford of Chudleigh (1630–1673), British politician and statesman
• Thomas Clifford, 14th Baron Clifford of Chudleigh (born 1948), a British baron
• Tom Clifford (politician) (fl. 1970s–2000s), Canadian political figure
• Trevor Clifford (1927–2019), Australian botanist
• Wayne Clifford (1944–2025), Canadian poet, editor and educator
• Wayne Clifford (rugby league) (born 1975), Australian rugby league footballer
• William Clifford (disambiguation), several people
• William Kingdon Clifford (1845–1879), English mathematician and philosopher

Fictional characters

• Clifford, the title name character in children book series Clifford the Big Red Dog
• Clifford Blossom, a character in Archie Comics and Riverdale
• Clifford DeVoe, also known as the Thinker, in DC Comics

See also

• Baron Clifford
• Baron de Clifford
• Clifford baronets
• Lord Clifford (disambiguation)

References

1. "MFnames.com – Origin and Meaning of Clifford". Archived from the original on 2013-11-13. Retrieved 2011-11-26.