Baby Name of the Day: Clover

The baby name Clover is a traditional symbol of luck, but would it bring good fortune to your child?

Thanks to Corinne for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day.

WHAT DOES THE NAME CLOVER MEAN?

The word clover comes from clafre in Old English. It has Germanic roots. There’s a theory that the word might’ve originally referenced the sticky sweet honey from clover nectar.

It’s a good crop for grazing. That’s why if you’re “in clover” you’re living a life of plenty. 

It’s sometimes a surname, too. Though in that case, it’s less likely to refer to the plant. Clover likely was a twist on Cleaver, one who cleaves – splits logs, or possibly works as a butcher. The surname has several other origins and meanings, too.

But we tend to think of a specific plant, from the genus Trifolium. The scientific name means three leaves in Latin. They’re common in Europe, but also found in South America and Africa, and elsewhere in higher altitudes.

The name suggests that they almost always have three leaves. But not always, and a surprising amount of the baby name Clover’s meaning comes down to counting precisely how many leaves are on each one.

CLOVER: A SYMBOL OF IRELAND

The word shamrock comes from the Irish seamrog – little clover.

It has played a role in religion and folklore for millennia. The Druids believed the shamrock could ward off evil. Long before Christianity came to Ireland, the three leaves were believed to represent traditional gods.

But it’s the patron saint of Ireland, Saint Patrick, who gets credit for a more familiar religious association. It’s said that he used a shamrock’s three leaves to explain the concept of the holy trinity in his teachings. 

It’s since become a national symbol of Ireland, as well as a familiar image around Saint Patrick’s Day everywhere.

FOUR-LEAF CLOVERS AND GOOD LUCK

A four-leaf clover is quite rare. They’ve been associated with good luck for generations. 

It’s thought that Sir John Melton, an English politician and writer, was the first to express the concept. In 1620, he wrote “If a man walking in the fields finds any four-leaved grass, he shall in a small while after find some good thing.”

More recently, you might think of the 1927 song “I’m Looking Over a Four-Leaf Clover.” It’s been recorded plenty of times. A 1948 recording by singer and bandleader Art Mooney is probably the best-known.

The connection between a four-leaf clover and good fortune runs deep. It lends the baby name Clover a different kind of meaning.

CLOVER IN POP CULTURE

One more musical reference: in 1968, Tommy James and the Shondells scored a major hit with “Crimson and Clover.” 

Apparently, there’s no real meaning to the title. James just liked the way the words sounded together.

Joan Jett recorded the song in 1982, and sent the song back into the US Top Ten.

There are two fictional uses of the baby name Clover, separated by more than a century:

• On the heels of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women – a literary blockbuster in 1868 – Susan Coolidge wrote What Katy Did. It followed in the same tradition as Alcott’s bestseller. The 1872 novel tells of Katy, an active, adventurous girl transformed to an invalid after an accident. Katy’s little sister is Clover. 
• 2006’s The Good Shepherd starred Matt Damon and Angelina Jolie in a work of semi-historical semi-fiction about the establishment of the CIA. Jolie plays Clover, the wife of Damon’s character, but in her case Clover is a nickname. She’s actually named Margaret.

HOW POPULAR IS THE NAME CLOVER?

The baby name Clover has been used in small numbers over the years. As early as 1897, five girls received the name. (US Social Security Administration data only reports on names beginning in 1880.) 

There’s a tiny uptick in the 1960s, tracked to the hit song “Crimson and Clover.”

The name started to rise again following the 2006 movie. But again, it’s only a little lift. 

Instead, real climb started only about a decade ago.

As of 2021, the baby name Clover debuted in the US Top 1000 most popular names at #860. It’s up to #675 as of 2023. 

Unrelated nature name Clove has seen some use, too, debuting in the SSA national data in 2019 and given to 12 girls in the year 2023.

CLOVER: 21ST CENTURY BOTANICAL

The baby name Clover comes with so many meaning. It’s an Irish heritage choice with ties to faith. It’s a lucky name. And it suggests prosperity, too. Any of those ideas might provide baby name inspiration.

It also fits with so many botanical favorites for baby girls. Ivy and Juniper, Willow and Rose. Chances are that you know a little girl called Harper or Piper, or another two-syllable, ends with R similar name. The first name Clover fits that trend, too. 

With increasing popularity and a style that fits with baby girl names now, it’s easy to imagine hearing more of the baby name Clover in the future.

What do you think of the baby name Clover?

First published on January 29, 2010, this post was revised on March 17, 2025.