Short form of Clifton, the transferred use of the surname originating from a place-name for various old English towns. It is composed from the Old English elements clif (cliff, slope, bank of a river) and tūn (town, settlement, village, enclosure): hence, "settlement by the cliff."
The name Clifford is an American baby name. In American the meaning of the name Clifford is: Ford near a slope. From an Old English surname and place name, used commonly as a first name since the late 19th century. Famous bearer: pianist Sir Clifford Curzon.
