Baby Boy’s Name Clive

Pronunciation

The boy’s name Clive is pronounced kleeve or klyve, the latter being the more common pronunciation.

Origin

Clive is of Anglo-Saxon origin. It’s said to be a surname, no surprise, of someone who lived near a cliff, the meaning of Clive being “cliff” or “slope”.

Meaning

The surname Clive, may be referring to a specific location as opposed to just a geographical feature. The locations it may be linked to are “Cliff in Hampshire and Warwickshire, North and South Cliff in the East Riding of Yorkshire, Cliffe in Kent, King’s Cliffe in Northamptonshire or Cliffe in the North Riding of Yorkshire.” These places share the same original meaning and derivation: “cliff or “slope.” Its variant forms are Cleavon, Cleve and Clyve.

Popularity

Although Clive was not in the top 100 most popular baby boy’s name in England in 2012 (latest stats from the Office of National Statistics), there are many famous figures who bear the name: actors Clive Dunn, Clive Mantle and Clive Owen; legendary record producer Clive Davis; and author Clive Barker, to name a few.

Even though the popularity of Clive seems to be waning in England, the name Clive is as unusual as it is interesting. Don’t be surprised if, in the future, there is an upsurge of Clives.

Useful Resources

• See our comprehensive list of English boys’ names