Clifton

Clifton is a toponym used in several countries, most extensively in the United Kingdom and the United States. The name derives from Old English clif, meaning cliff or bank, and tun, meaning town or settlement, originally describing a settlement beside a cliff or steep riverbank.

Notable places named Clifton include Clifton, Bristol, in England, a historic suburb and civil parish that grew around the Avon Gorge and is home to Clifton College and the Clifton Suspension Bridge, a landmark designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

In the United States, Clifton designates several communities, including Clifton, New Jersey, a city in Passaic County; Clifton, Cincinnati, Ohio, a historic neighborhood adjacent to the University of Cincinnati; Clifton, Texas, a small city in Bosque County; Clifton, Colorado, a town in Mesa County; and Clifton, Virginia, an unincorporated community in Fairfax County.

Clifton is also used for various institutions, such as Clifton College in Bristol, a historic independent school, and it appears in the names of other schools and facilities associated with places named Clifton.

Clifton is also a surname and the name is commonly used for neighborhoods, suburbs, and geographic features that lie near cliffs, escarpments, or riverbanks. Because the name is widely used, it often appears in local histories and geographic references across English-speaking regions.