What does Fern mean?
Fern is an English nature name from the green woodland plant.
What does Clover mean?
Clover is an English nature name from the lucky three-leafed plant.
Fern vs Clover
Which is more popular?
Clover is more popular than Fern today: about 578 US babies were given the name Clover in 2025, compared with 186 named Fern.
| Fern | Clover | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | The fern plant | The clover plant |
| Origin | English | English |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | FURN | KLOH-ver |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1897 |
| Peak year | 1918 (1,341) | 2025 (578) |
| In 2025 | 186 | 578 |
| Trend | Rising | Near its peak |
Popularity over time, 1880–2025
Fern
Clover
Source: US Social Security Administration.
Births by decade
| Decade | Fern | Clover |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 953 | 2,432 |
| 2010s | 717 | 1,611 |
| 2000s | 167 | 579 |
| 1990s | 97 | 81 |
| 1980s | 174 | 83 |
| 1970s | 299 | 197 |
| 1960s | 985 | 67 |
| 1950s | 2,213 | 106 |
| 1940s | 2,803 | 80 |
| 1930s | 4,570 | 74 |
| 1920s | 10,254 | 137 |
| 1910s | 9,250 | 143 |
| 1900s | 2,813 | 45 |
| 1890s | 1,937 | 5 |
| 1880s | 434 | 0 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Fern or Clover more popular?
Clover is more popular than Fern today: about 578 US babies were given the name Clover in 2025, compared with 186 named Fern.
What is the difference between Fern and Clover?
Fern means The fern plant (English origin), while Clover means The clover plant (English origin).
Which name is older, Fern or Clover?
In US records, Fern first appears in 1880 and Clover in 1897, so Fern has the longer recorded history.