Clifford is an English surname and place name that means "ford by a cliff", from Old English clif and ford. It was a top 100 name in the United States in the early 20th century, and for generations of children it is the Big Red Dog from Norman Bridwell's picture books. Clifford ranked number 753 in 2000, slipped out of the top 1000 a few years later and stands at number 1352 in 2025.