Cleo
Girl name · #577 in 2025 · Distinctive
How old is the name Cleo? In official American birth records, Cleo has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Cleo ranks #577 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 516 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #1743, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 3,488 girls born in 2025 was named Cleo.
Babies named Cleo per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 145-year story
Cleo first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 17 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1920, when 1,049 girls were named Cleo — good for #191 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Cleo against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Cleo in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Cleo is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "distinctive". That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Cleo is most common
Geography matters for names, and Cleo is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Cleo is most common in UT (1.1 per 1,000), CA (0.6 per 1,000), WA (0.5 per 1,000), CO (0.5 per 1,000), MA (0.5 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.4 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Cleo is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Cleo
Statistically, parents drawn to Cleo tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Opal, Flora, Goldie, Ila, and Mavis.
OpalFloraGoldieIlaMavisLottieMaeNellie
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Cleo | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 516 | #577 |
| 2024 | 495 | #607 |
| 2023 | 490 | #608 |
| 2022 | 445 | #664 |
| 2021 | 356 | #793 |
| 2020 | 303 | #881 |
| 2019 | 270 | #968 |
| 2018 | 222 | #1108 |
| 2017 | 153 | #1465 |
| 2016 | 145 | #1545 |
| 2015 | 120 | #1743 |
| 2014 | 100 | #1982 |
| 2013 | 81 | #2279 |
| 2012 | 124 | #1690 |
| 2011 | 87 | #2173 |
| 2010 | 78 | #2405 |
| 2009 | 72 | #2568 |
| 2008 | 48 | #3420 |
| 2007 | 63 | #2858 |
| 2006 | 58 | #2940 |
| 2005 | 51 | #3081 |
| 2004 | 51 | #3033 |
| 2003 | 58 | #2707 |
| 2002 | 69 | #2331 |
| 2001 | 74 | #2193 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Cleo?
In official American birth records, the name Cleo first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 17 newborn girls received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Cleo a popular girl name?
Cleo ranked #577 among girls in 2025 with 516 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1743.
When was the name Cleo most popular?
Cleo peaked in 1920, when 1,049 American girls received the name (ranked #191 that year). Since 1920 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Cleo?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 3,488 newborn American girls was named Cleo. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "distinctive".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.