Cleo is a feminine given name, derived from the name

Clio In Greek mythology, Clio ( , ; ), also spelled Kleio, Сleio, or Cleo, is the muse of history, or in a few mythological accounts, the muse of lyre-playing. Etymology Clio's name is derived from the Greek root κλέω/κλείω (meaning ...

in Greek mythology. As a spelling variant of Clio, the name is etymologically derived from the Greek root κλέω/κλείω, Latinised as ''kleos'' (meaning "to recount", "to make famous", "to celebrate", "glory", "to praise" or "to acclaim"). Clio was the

muse In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, the Muses (, ) were the Artistic inspiration, inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the poetry, lyric p ...

of history, who was responsible for providing inspiration to historians and poets. The name has been embraced by many cultures where Greek influence was felt, including

Cleopatra Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator (; The name Cleopatra is pronounced , or sometimes in both British and American English, see and respectively. Her name was pronounced in the Greek dialect of Egypt (see Koine Greek phonology). She was ...

, the powerful queen of

ancient Egypt Ancient Egypt () was a cradle of civilization concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in Northeast Africa. It emerged from prehistoric Egypt around 3150BC (according to conventional Egyptian chronology), when Upper and Lower E ...

, whose name was derived from Cleo. In

Western societies The Western world, also known as the West, primarily refers to various nations and states in Western Europe, Northern America, and Australasia; with some debate as to whether those in Eastern Europe and Latin America also constitute the West. ...

in more recent times, Cleo has evolved as a variant or short form of Cleopatra and used as a given name. It was commonly used for boys as well as girls in the early twentieth century, after being made popular by the 1917 silent film starring

Theda Bara Theda Bara ( ; born Theodosia Burr Goodman; July 29, 1885 – April 7, 1955) was an American silent film and stage actress. Bara was one of the more popular actresses of the silent era and one of cinema's early sex symbols. Her femme fatal ...

People

Single name

* Cleo (painter) (1943–2007), pseudonym of French fauvist neo-impressionist artist Clementina Cote * Cleo (mathematician), pseudonym of Vladimir Reshetnikov, Uzbekistani software developer who anonymously solved complex mathematics problems * Cléo (born 1985), nickname of professional football player Cléverson Gabriel Córdova * Cléo (French singer) (born 1946), stage name of French 1960s singer Chantal Rousselot * Cleo (Swedish singer) (born 1987), Swedish rap artist, singer and songwriter * Cleo (Polish singer) (born 1983), stage name of Polish singer-songwriter Joanna Klepko * Cleo. (born 1988), UK singer-songwriter, formerly known as MzBratt *

DJ Cleo Tlou Cleopas Monyepao (born December 24, 1979), professionally known as DJ Cleo, is a South African Kwaito, House music and Hip hop producer. He was born in Gauteng. DJ Cleo has enjoyed a long and fruitful career in the South African music indu ...

(born 1979), South African record producer *

Miss Cleo Youree Dell Harris (August 12, 1962 – July 26, 2016) was an American television personality and actress best known for portraying Miss Cleo, a spokeswoman for a psychic pay-per-call-minute service called Psychic Readers Network, in a se ...

(1962–2016), pseudonym for Youree Dell Harris, American self-proclaimed psychic

Given name

* Cleo von Adelsheim (born 1987), German-Chilean actress * Cleo Brown (1909–1995), American blues and jazz vocalist and pianist * Cleo S. Cason (1910–2003), American librarian * Cleo Damianakes (1895–1979), American etcher, painter, and illustrator * Cleo Demetriou (born 2001), child actress *

Cleo Fields Cleo C. Fields (born November 22, 1962) is an American attorney and politician who serves in the United States House of Representatives, currently representing . He previously represented from 1993 to 1997 and ran unsuccessfully for governor of L ...

(born 1962), American lawyer and politician, former member of the United States House of Representatives from Louisiana *

Cléo Hickmann Cléo Hickmann (born 9 February 1959), is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Career Revealed in the youth sectors of Internacional, he played for several clubs throughout Brazil, however, due to the various ...

(born 1959), Brazilian footballer * Cleo Higgins (born 1982), of the vocal group Cleopatra *

Cleo Laine Dame Cleo Laine, Lady Dankworth (born Clementine Dinah Hitching; 28 October 1927) is an English singer and actress known for her scat singing. She is the widow of jazz composer and musician Sir John Dankworth and the mother of bassist Alec D ...

(born 1927), jazz singer and actress * Cleo Lemon (born 1979), Canadian football quarterback *

Cleo Madison Cleo Madison (born Lulu Bailey; March 26, 1883 – March 11, 1964) was a theatrical and silent film actress, screenwriter, producer, and director who was active in Cinema of the United States, Hollywood during the silent era. Madison bega ...

(1883–1964), American stage and silent film actress born Lulu Baile *

Cléo de Mérode Cléopâtre-Diane de Mérode (27 September 1875 – 17 October 1966) was a French dancer of the Belle Époque. She has been referred to as the "first real celebrity icon" and the "first modern celebrity". She was also the first woman whose photog ...

(1875–1966), French dancer * Cleo Miller (born 1951), American former football player * Cleo Moore (1924–1973), American actress * Cléo Muratore de Souza (1937–1998), Brazilian footballer * Cleo A. Noel Jr. (1918–1973), American ambassador to Sudan killed by Black September terrorists * Cleo A. O'Donnell (1883–1953), American football player and coach * Cleo Francis Pineau (1893–1972), American World War I flying ace and businessman * Cléo Pires (born 1982), actress * Cleo Ridgely (1893–1962), American film actress *

Cleo Rocos Cleo Rocos (born 24 July 1962, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) is a UK-based comedy actress, producer, presenter and businesswoman who starred alongside Kenny Everett on '' The Kenny Everett Television Show''. Early life Rocos was born in Brazil. Her ...

(born 1962), British comedian * Cleo Smith (baseball) (born 1900), American baseball player * Cleo Smith, Australian girl who was abducted and then found; see Disappearance of Cleo Smith * Cleo Sylvestre (1945–2024), English actress * Cleo Watson, British political adviser

Fictional characters

* Cleo, an anthropomorphic goldfish who first appeared in Disney's ''

Pinocchio Pinocchio ( , ) is a fictional character and the protagonist of the children's novel, ''The Adventures of Pinocchio'' (1883) by Italian writer Carlo Collodi of Florence, Tuscany. Pinocchio was carved by a poor man named Geppetto in a Tuscan vil ...

'' (1940) * Cleo, a basset hound who appeared in the American television series '' The People’s Choice'' * Cleo, the main protagonist in '' Pirates: Adventures in Art'' * Cleo, from '' Invisible Sister'' * Cléo, the titular protagonist of the French film ''

Cléo from 5 to 7 ''Cléo from 5 to 7'' () is a 1962 French New Wave drama film written and directed by Agnès Varda. It follows Florence ( Corinne Marchand), a young singer known professionally as "Cléo Victoire", from 5 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. on June 21, as she wa ...

'' * Cleo, a dancer from '' The Next Step'' * Cleo, from the mobile game '' Dragalia Lost'' * Cleo, a purple poodle from the TV show ''

Clifford the Big Red Dog ''Clifford the Big Red Dog'' is an American children's book series which focuses on the adventures of an 8-year old blonde haired girl named Emily Elizabeth and her titular pet: a gigantic, red-furred dog named Clifford. It was first published ...

'' * Cleo Babbitt, in the CBS soap opera ''

As the World Turns ''As the World Turns'' (often abbreviated as ''ATWT'') is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS for 54 years from April 2, 1956, to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created ''As the World Turns'' as a sister show to her other so ...

'' * Cleo Bellows, a main character in the OPB TV show ''

MythQuest ''MythQuest'' is a Canadian children's television series that originally aired on CBC in Canada and PBS in the United States in 2001. Produced by Minds Eye Pictures, the series was shot in Drumheller, Calgary, East Coulee, Alberta, and Regina, ...

'' *

Cleo Finch Cleo Finch is a fictional character from the NBC television series '' ER''. She was portrayed by Michael Michele and appeared on the show from the sixth season's episode, "Leave It to Weaver," which aired on September 30, 1999, until the eighth ...

, in the NBC television drama ''ER'' * Cleo Graves, a main character in '' Super Monsters'' * Cleo Telerin, one of the two main protagonists of '' Cleo and Cuquin'' * Cleo Carter, one of the three main characters from '' Tutenstein''

References

{{given name Feminine given names Given names of Greek language origin Greek feminine given names English unisex given names Hypocorisms

People

Single name

Given name

Fictional characters

See also

References