unisex name
Cleo
KLEE-oh
- Origin Greek
- Gender Unisex
- Syllables 2
- Letters 4
- Popularity Top 1000 (E&W)
- Births on record 58,860
the United States
#577
2025 births
Cleo is a name of Greek origin meaning "glory" or "fame." It shortens Cleopatra and Cleon, both built on kleos, and is used for both girls and boys — though Cleopatra itself is now almost entirely unused.
- Cleo is a name of Greek origin.
- Peaked in US records in 1920, when 1,399 babies were given the name.
- After peaking in the 1920s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival in US records.
- Today about 1 in 1,246 babies in England and Wales is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Cleo over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. Cleo is more popular in England and Wales — see the country table below. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 410 |
| 1890s | 1,319 |
| 1900s | 2,878 |
| 1910s | 9,716 |
| 1920s | 11,188 |
| 1930s | 6,059 |
| 1940s | 3,509 |
| 1950s | 2,196 |
| 1960s | 1,030 |
| 1970s | 662 |
| 1980s | 544 |
| 1990s | 641 |
| 2000s | 704 |
| 2010s | 1,515 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 2,721 |
What Cleo means
Cleo means glory or renown, from the Greek kleos. The word specifically meant the fame that outlives you — what would be said about a person afterwards — rather than celebrity in life.
Where Cleo comes from
Cleo comes from the Greek kleos, glory, an idea central to Homeric thought: kleos aphthiton, imperishable fame, is what the heroes of the Iliad fight for. It shortens Cleopatra, glory of the father, and Cleon, and it is also the name of Clio, the muse of history, whose name is the same word. Seven Egyptian queens bore the name Cleopatra, though only the last is now remembered. The spelling Cleo is the modern standalone form, distinct from the muse's Clio.
Cleo in use
Our data records Cleo for both sexes and marks it reviving, peaking in 1920, at 114 in England and Wales. It first appears in our records in 1880. Cleopatra itself remains almost unused — the short form has entirely outlived the name it came from.
How popular is Cleo?
In 2025, Cleo was given to 423 babies in England and Wales, ranking #114 that year. It is well established in England and Wales.
Where Cleo is used
England and Wales figures withhold any name given to fewer than three babies in a year. The historical chart above uses US records, the only series running back to 1880. Data & sources.
How Cleo is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Cléo | Cléo is Cleo written with an acute accent in France, and the spelling parents there overwhelmingly choose: it ranks #129 in France, against #2,953 for Cleo. | 4,300 |
Names that peaked alongside Cleo
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Cleo also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Cleo over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Cleo in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Cleo
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Cleo — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Cleo
What does the name Cleo mean?
Cleo means "glory" or "fame," from the Greek kleos.
Is Cleo short for Cleopatra?
It can be, though Cleo is now used as a full name and Cleopatra itself is almost unused.
Are Cleo and Clio the same name?
They come from the same Greek word. Clio is the muse of history; Cleo is the modern given-name spelling.
How popular is the name Cleo?
In 2025, Cleo was given to 423 babies in England and Wales, ranking #114 that year. It is well established in England and Wales.
Is Cleo a girl's or a boy's name?
Cleo is used for both girls and boys. About 79% of recorded births with this name are girls.
How many syllables are in Cleo?
Cleo has 2 syllables.
When was Cleo most popular?
Cleo peaked in 1920, when 1,399 babies were given the name. After peaking in the 1920s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
Is Cleo a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Cleo currently ranks #114 in the United States. After peaking in the 1920s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.