The first name Cleo
A unisex name from Greek.
Pronounced /ˈkliːoʊ/ 2 syllables Unisex
Meaning and origin
Greek origin
Shortened from Cleopatra or a variant of Clio. The rare male name derives from names of Ancient Greek origin such as Cleon and Cleopas.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 423 girls were named Cleo, making it the 114th most popular girls’ name.
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Cleo with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Cleo at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 516 girls born in the United States were named Cleo, the 577th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1920, when 1,049 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Cleo in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Famous people named Cleo
10 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Cleo LaineEnglish jazz singer and actress (1927–2025)
- Cleo PiresBrazilian actress, singer, producer and writer, born 1982
- Cleo MooreAmerican actress (1924–1973)
- Cleo KingAmerican actress, born 1962
- Cleo MadisonActress and film director (1883-1964)
- Cleo MasseyAustralian actress, born 1993
- Cleo BrownAmerican singer (1909–1995)
- Cleo FieldsAmerican politician (born 1962)
- Cleo RidgelyAmerican actress (1893-1962)
- Cleo DemetriouBritish-Cyprus actress, born 2001
More Greek unisex names
Questions
- What does the name Cleo mean?
- Shortened from Cleopatra or a variant of Clio. The rare male name derives from names of Ancient Greek origin such as Cleon and Cleopas.
- What is the origin of the name Cleo?
- Shortened from Cleopatra or a variant of Clio. The rare male name derives from names of Ancient Greek origin such as Cleon and Cleopas.
- How popular is the name Cleo?
- In 2025, 423 girls born in England and Wales were named Cleo, ranking 114th.
- Is Cleo a boy's or a girl's name?
- Both. Of the 45,092 US babies named Cleo since 1880, 74% were girls and 26% boys.
- When was Cleo most popular?
- 1920 in the United States, when 1,049 babies were named Cleo, its highest rank at 191st.
- How do you pronounce Cleo?
- Cleo is /ˈkliːoʊ/, 2 syllables.