Fun Facts About the Name Clove
- 59 babies named Clove: U.S. records list 59 babies given the name Clove from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Clove Mean?
Clove is an English word name taken from the clove spice: the dried, unopened flower bud of the clove tree (Syzygium aromaticum). The word entered English through Old French clou, as in clou de girofle, "nail of clove," from Latin clavus, "nail." The name of the spice refers to the bud's shape, which resembles a small nail; that is the literal origin of the word, not a later symbolic reading. The tree is native to the Maluku Islands in eastern Indonesia.
English also uses "clove" for a segment of a garlic bulb. That word is a separate homonym, from Old English clufu, "a cleft or division," related to the verb cleave, "to split." It is not connected to Latin clavus or to the spice. As a given name, Clove is generally associated with the spice word.
Clove Name History & Origins
Cloves have been traded for well over a thousand years. The trees grow in the Maluku Islands of eastern Indonesia, and dried buds were carried by sea routes to India, the Middle East, and later Europe, where they were used in cooking, medicine, and food preservation. In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, Portugal and then the Netherlands fought for control of the trade, and the Dutch confined cultivation to a small number of islands to keep prices high. Cloves were later planted in Zanzibar, Madagascar, and other tropical regions.
As a personal name, Clove is uncommon. It belongs to the broad group of English word names taken from plants, spices, and natural objects, and it is used only occasionally in English-speaking countries. The name is also familiar from the character Clove in The Hunger Games (2010), a modern literary use of the word rather than its source.
How Popular is the Name Clove?
Clove has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2023. Its best rank was #8,581 in 2023.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #10,269 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 2024 | #13,803 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2023 | #8,581 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2022 | #9,183 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 2021 | #9,714 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2020 | #15,633 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2019 | #14,187 | 6 | 0.0004% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Clove Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are cheerful and friendly, but are apt to have an emotional life. You like to have several lines of effort going at once. You are a good talker and promoter and seldom worry over anything. At times, you can be impatient, and impulsive. You have the ability to bring an idea to completion. You can express yourself joyously and constructively. You might be psychic, but not know it. You are frank, methodical and believe in law, system and order.
Creative and outgoing, you are always looking for an opportunity to show your abilities, especially before audience. You are very flexible and like to feel appreciated. You are looking for chances to mix with others socially and to communicate your ideas. You like to talk and can easily relate to different cultures and concepts. The biggest challenge for you is uncertainty. Easily getting bored, you can move from one job to another, switch projects and lovers. The high creative force can lead you either to happiness or unhappiness. If you understand your goals, if you can make major decisions in life and follow it directly and straight up without worry and uncertainty, you are able to achieve great heights.
✦ Clove's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Clove's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.