- Origin: English
- Meaning: “rock meadow.”
- Gender: unisex
- First Appearance: 1600s
From the transferred use of the English place name and surname, it is composed of the Anglo-Saxon elements clúd (rock) and leáh (meadow).
The name was borne by Sir Cloudesley Shovell (1650-1707), a British Admiral who got his name from his grandmother’s surname, Lucy Cloudisley.
There is sporadic use of this name (only on males) in 17th-century England, most likely used in honour of Sir Cloudesley Shovell.
It would make an adorable female name and would fit right in with current trendy last name turned first names such as Piper, Lindsey, and Everley. The short form of Cloud makes the name even more irresistible.
Sources