Clifford

C3L1I1F4F4O1R1D2
/ˈklɪfəɹd/

proper noun

A habitational surname from Old English.

OriginOld English clif →
CommonScrabble 17
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Meanings

proper noun
  1. A habitational surname from Old English.

    Proud northern lord, Clifford of Cumberland, / Warwick is hoarse with calling thee to arms.

    ,Scene II
  2. A male given name transferred from the surname.
  3. A village and civil parish in west Herefordshire, England (OS grid ref SO2445).
  4. A village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England (OS grid ref SE4244).
  5. A community in the town of Minto, Wellington County, Ontario, Canada.
  6. A number of places in the United States:
    1. A town in Flat Rock Township, Bartholomew County, Indiana.
    2. A township in Butler County, Kansas.
    3. A village in Burlington Township, Lapeer County, Michigan.
    4. An extinct town in Polk County, Missouri.
    5. A minor city in Traill County, North Dakota.
    6. A township in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania.
    7. An unincorporated community in Amherst County, Virginia.
    8. An unincorporated community in the towns of Somo, Lincoln County, Lynne, Oneida County and Knox, Price County, Wisconsin.
  7. A rural locality in Western Downs Region, Queensland, Australia.

Origin

  1. Old Englishclif“cliff”
  2. EnglishClifford

From Old English clif (“cliff”) + ford (“ford”), a dweller at the ford by the steep bank.

More words from Old English

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Clifford. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Clifford

MLA

“Clifford.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Clifford. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Clifford,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Clifford.

Source: Clifford on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.