Cleo (name) explained

Cleo is a feminine given name, derived from the name Clio in Greek mythology.

As a spelling variant of Clio, the name is etymologically derived from the Greek root κλέω/κλείω,^[1] Latinised as kleos^[2] (meaning "to recount", "to make famous", "to celebrate", "glory",^[3] "to praise" or "to acclaim"). Clio was the muse 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, the powerful queen of ancient Egypt, whose name was derived from Cleo. In Western societies in more recent times, Cleo has evolved as a variant or short form of Cleopatra and used as a given name.^[2]

It was used for boys as well as girls in the early twentieth century, after being made popular by the 1917 silent film starring Theda Bara.^[3]

People

Single name

Cleo (painter) (1943–2007), pseudonym of French fauvist neo-impressionist artist Clementina Cote
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 (born 1979), South African record producer
Miss Cleo (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 Demetriou (born 2001), child actress
Cleo Fields (born 1962), American lawyer and politician, former member of the United States House of Representatives from Louisiana
Cléo Hickmann (born 1959), Brazilian footballer
Cleo Higgins (born 1982), of the vocal group Cleopatra
Cleo Laine (born 1927), jazz singer and actress
Cleo Lemon (born 1979), Canadian football quarterback
Cleo Madison (1883–1964), American stage and silent film actress born Lulu Baile
Cléo de Mérode (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 (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 (1940)
Cleo, a basset hound who appeared in the American television series The People’s Choice
Cleo, the main protagonist in
Cleo, from Invisible Sister
Cléo, the titular protagonist of the French film Cléo from 5 to 7
Cleo, a dancer from The Next Step
Cleo, from the mobile game Dragalia Lost
Cleo Babbitt, in the CBS soap opera As the World Turns
Cleo Bellows, a main character in the OPB TV show MythQuest
Cleo Finch, 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

Notes and References

Book: D. S. Levene, Damien P. Nelis. Clio and the Poets: Augustan Poetry and the Traditions of Ancient Historiography. Brill Academic Publishers. 2002. 90-04-11782-2.
Web site: Origin and Meaning of First Name Cleo . Ancestry . 8 August 2021 . 23 September 2024.
Web site: Cleo . Nameberry . 19 September 2024 . . 23 September 2024.