Origin of the name Clive:

Transferred use of the surname derived from the Old English clif (cliff, slope, bank of a river). The word is found in many English place-names, and Clive was probably first used for someone who lived near one of these places, or for someone who lived near a cliff or a riverbank. The use of Clive as a given name dates to the 18th century, when it was bestowed in honor of the baron of Plassey, Robert Clive (1725 - 74), the British soldier and statesman who established British control over India.

From A World of Baby Names by Teresa Norman. Buy the book