Clifton is an English place name and surname from Old English words meaning "settlement by a cliff"; dozens of English villages carry the name. It was a dignified middle-class choice in early 20th-century America and belonged to actor Clifton Webb and civil rights pioneer Clifton R. Wharton. Clifton ranked number 739 in 2000, dropped out of the top 1000 soon afterward and sits at number 1907 in 2025.