girl's name
Clover
KLOH-ver (English)
- Origin English
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 6,636
the United States
#517
2025 births
Clover is a girl's name taken from the meadow plant, from the Old English clāfre. The plant's three leaves, and the lucky four-leaf variety, give the name its sense of good fortune, and it's linked with Ireland through the shamrock.
- Clover is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 2025, when 593 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 5,591 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1897.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Clover Over Time
Births per decade in the United States, 1890s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 5 |
| 1900s | 45 |
| 1910s | 143 |
| 1920s | 155 |
| 1930s | 79 |
| 1940s | 80 |
| 1950s | 111 |
| 1960s | 67 |
| 1970s | 197 |
| 1980s | 83 |
| 1990s | 81 |
| 2000s | 585 |
| 2010s | 1,616 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 2,491 |
What Clover Means
Clover means the small flowering plant of fields and lawns. The name suggests luck and country simplicity, and the phrase in clover, meaning living comfortably, adds a note of ease.
Where Clover Comes From
Old English clāfre is related to Dutch klaver and other Germanic plant names, though its deeper root is unclear. The word has had a stable form in English since the medieval period. Bees favor clover, and farmers have long valued it as fodder, which explains the phrase in clover. As a girl's name it appears in the nineteenth century among American nature names. It also served as a nickname, as with Marian Hooper Adams, the Boston photographer known as Clover. Its modern return follows Poppy and Ivy, and it often stands alone without a longer form.
Clover in Use
Clover Carr is Katy's sister in Susan Coolidge's What Katy Did series. Clover Moore served for many years as lord mayor of Sydney.
How Popular Is Clover?
In 2025, Clover was given to 593 babies in the United States, ranking #517 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
Where Clover Is Used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names That Peaked Alongside Clover
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Clover Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Clover over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
How to Say Clover
- English KLOH-ver
Clover 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.
- Other forms
- Forms we hold no single language for — some are used across several, some are simply spelled differently.
- Clova
Sibling Names for Clover
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Clover — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Clover
What does the name Clover mean?
It's the meadow plant, from Old English clāfre.
Is Clover a lucky name?
The four-leaf clover makes it a popular symbol of good luck.
Is Clover a real name?
Yes. It's an old American nature name that has returned to use.
How popular is the name Clover?
In 2025, Clover was given to 593 babies in the United States, ranking #517 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
Is Clover a girl's or a boy's name?
Clover is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Clover?
Clover has 2 syllables.
When was Clover most popular?
Clover peaked in 2025, when 593 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
Is Clover a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Clover currently ranks #517 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.