At a glance
- In short
- Cleave is a strong and distinctive English name meaning "to adhere or cling to," traditionally for boys, with a variation Cleavon.
- U.S. rank 2025
- Not in the 2025 data · last seen 1972 (#4,986)
- Babies in 1972
- 5 (<0.01% of boys)
- Peak
- #836 in 1885
- First recorded
- 1885
Meaning of Cleave
Cleave is a strong and distinctive name of English origin, meaning "to adhere or cling to." It is traditionally a male name and is pronounced as klee-v (/kliːv/). The variation Cleavon also exists. While not as common as some other names, Cleave has been used for baby boys in Texas, with records showing 6 occurrences in 1920, ranking at 770. This unique name carries an air of resilience and determination, making it an intriguing choice for parents seeking a name with character and history.
How to pronounce Cleave
English
- Pronounced klee-v /kliːv/
Popularity of Cleave in the U.S.
Cleave was last recorded in the U.S. in 1972, ranked #4,986 with 5 babies. It peaked at #836 in 1885. It first appears in the records in 1885.
- Rank among U.S. boy names (right scale, #1 at the top)
Year-by-year table, 1885–1972 51 rows
| Year | Babies | Rank | vs previous year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 5 | 4,986 | back (not recorded in 1967–1971) |
| 1966 | 5 | 3,948 | back (not recorded in 1960–1965) |
| 1959 | 5 | 3,988 | ▼ 429 |
| 1958 | 6 | 3,559 | ▼ 7 |
| 1957 | 6 | 3,552 | back (not recorded in 1955–1956) |
| 1954 | 6 | 3,452 | ▼ 547 |
| 1953 | 8 | 2,905 | ▲ 190 |
| 1952 | 7 | 3,095 | ▼ 433 |
| 1951 | 9 | 2,662 | ▼ 224 |
| 1950 | 10 | 2,438 | back (not recorded in 1949) |
| 1948 | 5 | 3,668 | back (not recorded in 1947) |
| 1946 | 8 | 2,690 | back (not recorded in 1944–1945) |
| 1943 | 8 | 2,732 | ▲ 208 |
| 1942 | 7 | 2,940 | back (not recorded in 1941) |
| 1940 | 5 | 3,459 | back (not recorded in 1938–1939) |
| 1937 | 12 | 2,088 | ▲ 541 |
| 1936 | 8 | 2,629 | ▲ 322 |
| 1935 | 7 | 2,951 | ▲ 22 |
| 1934 | 7 | 2,973 | ▼ 605 |
| 1933 | 10 | 2,368 | ▲ 993 |
| 1932 | 6 | 3,361 | ▲ 29 |
| 1931 | 6 | 3,390 | ▼ 101 |
| 1930 | 7 | 3,289 | ▼ 309 |
| 1929 | 8 | 2,980 | ▲ 717 |
| 1928 | 6 | 3,697 | ▼ 1,289 |
| 1927 | 12 | 2,408 | ▲ 496 |
| 1926 | 9 | 2,904 | ▲ 504 |
| 1925 | 7 | 3,408 | ▼ 767 |
| 1924 | 11 | 2,641 | ▲ 131 |
| 1923 | 10 | 2,772 | ▼ 629 |
| 1922 | 15 | 2,143 | ▲ 489 |
| 1921 | 11 | 2,632 | ▼ 747 |
| 1920 | 18 | 1,885 | ▲ 626 |
| 1919 | 11 | 2,511 | ▼ 513 |
| 1918 | 16 | 1,998 | ▲ 734 |
| 1917 | 9 | 2,732 | ▼ 473 |
| 1916 | 12 | 2,259 | ▲ 823 |
| 1915 | 7 | 3,082 | ▼ 811 |
| 1914 | 9 | 2,271 | back (not recorded in 1912–1913) |
| 1911 | 7 | 1,387 | ▲ 34 |
| 1910 | 6 | 1,421 | back (not recorded in 1908–1909) |
| 1907 | 5 | 1,345 | back (not recorded in 1906) |
| 1905 | 5 | 1,233 | back (not recorded in 1901–1904) |
| 1900 | 5 | 1,310 | back (not recorded in 1895–1899) |
| 1894 | 7 | 857 | back (not recorded in 1893) |
| 1892 | 6 | 956 | ▲ 7 |
| 1891 | 5 | 963 | ▼ 79 |
| 1890 | 6 | 884 | ▲ 90 |
| 1889 | 5 | 974 | ▼ 57 |
| 1888 | 6 | 917 | back (not recorded in 1886–1887) |
| 1885 | 6 | 836 | new |
Notable people named Cleave
- Cleave Anderson is a Canadian drummer known for playing with Blue Rodeo, Battered Wives and other punk and rock bands.