Greek

Chloe · Daily fortune

Chloe is an ancient Greek word for a green shoot, an epithet of the goddess Demeter and a name in the New Testament, yet as an everyday English name it is barely older than the 1980s.

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Say it
KLOH-ee
Meaning
Green shoot; young green foliage in spring
Gender
feminine
Spellings
Chloe, Chloë, Chloé, Khloe, Cloe, Cloé, Cloè
US rank
#23 (2025)
Chloe

The short answer

Chloe is a feminine name of Greek origin. Behind the Name gives its meaning as "green shoot", referring to new plant growth in the spring; Wikipedia traces Greek Χλόη to a Proto-Indo-European root for yellow and green and glosses it "blooming". It was an epithet of the goddess Demeter, is mentioned by Paul in the New Testament, and gives its name to the ancient Greek novel Daphnis and Chloe. As an English name it dates from the Protestant Reformation but only became widely popular in the 1980s and 1990s, first in the United Kingdom and then the United States. It ranked #23 for girls in the United States in 2025 and is often written with a diaeresis, Chloë.

Meaning and etymology

Behind the Name says Chloe "means 'green shoot' in Greek, referring to new plant growth in the spring", and that it was an epithet of the Greek goddess Demeter. Wikipedia gives the Greek form Χλόη, derives it ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root *ǵʰelh₃- (relating to yellow and green), and renders the meaning as "blooming" or "fertility", specifying "young, green foliage or shoots of plants in spring". The two accounts describe the same image, spring growth, from slightly different angles; "fertility" is Wikipedia's extension of it.

Editorial confidence: established

Linguistic roots

LanguageFormMeaning
GreekΧλόη (Chloe)green shoot; young green foliage or shoots in spring
Proto-Indo-European (reconstructed, per Wikipedia)*ǵʰelh₃-yellow, green

History of the name

Chloe was an epithet of Demeter and, per Wikipedia, a popular name in ancient Greece, as the title of the ancient Greek novel Daphnis and Chloe attests; it has stayed in use as a Greek name into modern times. Behind the Name notes that Paul mentions a Chloe in one of his New Testament epistles, and that the name has been used in English since the Protestant Reformation. Its modern rise came late: it started getting more popular in the 1980s in the United Kingdom and then the United States. Behind the Name says it was the most popular girls' name in England and Wales from 1997 to 2002; Wikipedia says it was the most popular newborn girls' name in Northern Ireland over the same years, and describes a UK peak in the late 1990s and 2000s. In the United States it has been in the top 100 since 1998, peaked at ninth in 2009 and 2010, and stood at 24th in 2021.

PeriodWhat changed
Ancient GreeceChloe is an epithet of the goddess Demeter and a popular name, as in the novel Daphnis and Chloe.
1st centuryA Chloe is mentioned by Paul in one of his New Testament epistles.
Protestant Reformation onwardChloe comes into use as an English name.
1980sThe name starts getting more popular in the United Kingdom and then the United States.
1997–2002Most popular girls' name in England and Wales (Behind the Name) and in Northern Ireland (Wikipedia).
1998 onwardIn the United States top 100 every year since (Wikipedia).
2009–2010Peaks at ninth place in the United States.
2013Fourth most popular girls' name in Australia.
2021–202224th in the United States (2021) and sixth in Canada (2022).
2025Ranks #23 for girls in the United States (SSA).

Popularity

Chloe ranked #23 for girls in the United States in 2025 (Social Security Administration). Wikipedia says it has been in the US top 100 since 1998 and peaked at ninth in 2009–2010. It was the top girls' name in England and Wales (Behind the Name) and Northern Ireland (Wikipedia) from 1997 to 2002, fourth in Australia in 2013, and sixth in Canada in 2022.

RegionYearRankSource
United States2025#23ssa-2025

Pronunciation around the world

English Chloe is /ˈkloʊ.i/, KLOH-ee, two syllables with the stress on the first; the diaeresis in Chloë marks that the final e is sounded separately. Behind the Name lists forms in a handful of other languages; their pronunciations were not verified in this pass.

Language or regionPronunciationLocal forms
English/ˈkloʊ.i/ — KLOH-eeChloe, Chloë, Khloe
Frenchnot verified in this passChloé, Cloé
Catalannot verified in this passCloè
Dutchnot verified in this passChloë
Italian and Spanishnot verified in this passCloe
Portuguesenot verified in this passCloé

Common mispronunciations: Reading it as one syllable ("klo"), which the Chloë spelling exists to prevent.

Nicknames: None documented.

Variants: Chloë, Chlöe, Chloé, Khloe, Cloe, Cloé, Cloè

Related names: None documented.

What the name feels like

Chloe manages to feel both ancient and light. The classical and biblical credentials are real, but the name carries none of the weight of Elizabeth or Catherine; it is short, bright and easy to say in most European languages. Its rise from the 1980s means it now reads as a name of a particular generation in the UK, while in the United States its long run in the top 100 has made it a settled modern classic rather than a fad. Parents choosing between spellings should note that Chloë is the traditional diaeresis form and Khloe a recent respelling.

Style tags: Greek, biblical, mythological epithet, modern classic, top 25

Editorial interpretation: The style paragraph and the recommendations below are editorial judgment. They do not change the established Greek etymology and they predict nothing about a bearer.

People and stories associated with the name

The bearers below are the ones named in the Behind the Name entry and in the sections of the Wikipedia article read for this profile; the article's long list of people named Chloe was not mined.

NameTypeContext
Demeter ChloemythologicalChloe was an epithet of the Greek goddess Demeter.
Chloe of CorinthhistoricalMentioned by Paul in one of his New Testament epistles.
Chloe of Daphnis and ChloefictionalHeroine of the ancient Greek novel, cited by Wikipedia as evidence of the name's popularity in ancient Greece.
Chloë Grace MoretzcontemporaryActress, listed among notable bearers on Wikipedia.
Chloe BennetcontemporaryActress, listed among notable bearers on Wikipedia.
Chloe KimcontemporarySnowboarder, listed among notable bearers on Wikipedia.
Chloe BaileycontemporaryMusician, listed among notable bearers on Wikipedia.

If you like this name

Names that share Chloe's Greek roots, its short bright sound, or its modern-classic register.

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Frequently asked questions

What does the name Chloe mean?

Chloe means "green shoot" in Greek, referring to new plant growth in spring; Wikipedia also renders it as "blooming". It was an epithet of the goddess Demeter.

Is Chloe a biblical name?

Yes. Behind the Name notes that a Chloe is mentioned by Paul in one of his New Testament epistles, and the name has been used in English since the Protestant Reformation.

Yes. Chloe ranked #23 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, has been in the US top 100 since 1998, and was the most popular girls' name in England and Wales from 1997 to 2002.

How do you pronounce Chloe?

In English, Chloe is pronounced KLOH-ee (IPA /ˈkloʊ.i/), two syllables with the stress on the first.

Why is Chloe sometimes spelled Chloë?

Behind the Name calls Chloe one of the few English-language names often written with a diaeresis, Chloë; the mark shows that the final e is a separate syllable. Chloé is the French spelling and Khloe an English variant.

Sources

  • Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Chloe — supports etymology, English pronunciation, Demeter epithet, New Testament mention, English use since the Reformation, 1980s rise, England and Wales 1997–2002, diaeresis spelling, variants and foreign forms.
  • Wikipedia: Chloe (given name) — supports Greek form and Proto-Indo-European root, 'blooming' gloss, Daphnis and Chloe, Northern Ireland 1997–2002, Australia 2013, US top 100 since 1998, peak 2009–2010, 24th in 2021, Canada 2022, notable bearers.
  • U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names — national data, year of birth 2025 — supports popularity.

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