UK name, mostly girls
Cleo
A feminine name of Greek origin meaning "glory" or "renown".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Cleo is mostly registered for girls in the UK records. People looking for Cleo popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #129, with 376 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2022, with 383 births.
This profile covers 4,419 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 98% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 4,669 living people in the UK are called Cleo. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Cleo ranked #129 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 376 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2022, when 383 girls were registered as Cleo.
- • Cleo ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #209 in 2023.
- • About 4,669 living people in the UK are estimated to have Cleo as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 99.9% of Cleo registrations are for girls.
Latest rank (E&W)
#129
2024
Births in 2024
376
Latest year
Peak year
2022
383 births
Estimated living
4,669
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Cleo
In England and Wales birth records, Cleo has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 0.1% of registrations are for boys and 99.9% are for girls.
These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.
Cleo registered for boys
- Ranked #4,749 in 2018
- 3 boys registered in 2018
- Peak: 2018 (3 births)
Cleo registered for girls
- Ranked #129 in 2024
- 376 girls registered in 2024
- Peak: 2022 (383 births)
Meaning
What does Cleo mean?
The name Cleo originated from the ancient Greek name Kleopatra, which means "glory of the father." It was a popular name among the Ptolemaic dynasty that ruled Egypt from 305 BCE to 30 BCE. The name Cleo is a shortened form of Kleopatra.
The most famous historical figure with the name Cleopatra was Cleopatra VII Philopator, the last active ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt. She was born in 69 BCE and ruled as the co-ruler of Egypt from 51 BCE until her death in 30 BCE. Cleopatra was known for her intelligence, leadership, and her relationships with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony.
Another notable figure with the name Cleo was Cleo de Merode, a French dancer and courtesan who was born in 1875 and died in 1966. She was a prominent figure in the Belle Époque era of Paris and was known for her beauty and performances at the Folies Bergère.
Cleo Laine, a British jazz singer and actress, was born in 1927 and is still living. She has had a successful career spanning over seven decades and has been honored with numerous awards, including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
Cleo Moore was an American actress and singer who was born in 1928 and died in 1973. She was known for her roles in several film noir and Western movies in the 1950s, including "One Girl's Confession" and "Hit and Run."
Cleo Lane was a British singer and actress who was born in 1927 and died in 2017. She had a successful career in both the UK and the US, performing in various musicals and stage shows, as well as appearing on television and in films.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Cleo over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Cleo in England and Wales, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Cleo, the clearest high point is 2022. The latest England and Wales figure is 376 births in 2024, compared with 383 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Cleo by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Cleo was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #143 | 1,765 | 5 |
| 2010s | #321 | 1,764 | 10 |
| 2000s | #483 | 729 | 10 |
| 1990s | #625 | 161 | 4 |
Geography
Where Cleo is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Cleo. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Cleo ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #209 in 2023.
Across the UK
Cleo in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#230 in 2024
23 years of NRS records, 233 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#209 in 2023
8 years of NISRA records, 39 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Cleo
-
Cleo Demetriou
singer; stage actor
British-Cyprus actress
2001-
-
Cleo Higgins
singer
British singer
1982-
-
Cleo Rocos
actor; businessperson; presenter
British actress
1962-
-
Cleo Tighe
singer; songwriter
British songwriter
Related
Names similar to Cleo
- Chloe 111,265
- Charlotte 88,733
- Caitlin 28,931
- Courtney 23,162
- Chelsea 13,049
- Clara 9,435
- Connie 8,402
- Catherine 8,376
- Charlie 7,964
- Cerys 7,506
- Casey 7,018
- Cara 6,375
FAQ
Cleo: questions and answers
How popular is the name Cleo in the UK right now?
In 2024, Cleo was ranked #129 for girls in England and Wales, with 376 births registered.
When was Cleo most popular?
The peak year on record was 2022, with 383 babies registered as Cleo in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Cleo?
A feminine name of Greek origin meaning "glory" or "renown".
How many people are called Cleo in the UK?
A total of 4,419 babies have been registered as Cleo across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 233 more in Scotland and 39 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Cleo most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Cleo ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #209 in 2023. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.