The genus name honours George Clifford, a rich Anglo-Dutch financier and a Director of the Dutch East India Company who was also a keen horticulturist. In Amsterdam, Linnaeus stayed with Clifford, who owned a large, famous garden and the Zoo; around 1735, Linnaeus named the genus after his patron.

The rose family is very large and economically important; it is mostly found occurring naturally in the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere. It comprises 120 genera with 3 000 species world-wide, and includes well-known members such as apples, plums and prunes ( Prunus ), pears ( Pyrus ), loquat ( Eriobotrya ), brambles ( Rubus ) and strawberries ( Fragaria ). This family also includes some popular ornamental plants namely roses (Rosa), Crataegus, Pyracantha and Cotoneaster. Rosaceae is, however, a poorly represented family in southern Africa with only nine genera and about 150 species.

Other noteworthy members of this genus are: Cliffortia ruscifolia (climber's friend or steekbos ), a prickly shrub with a very strong root system that allows climbers to pull themselves up difficult places and up rock faces without giving way; and an infusion of  the leaves of C. odorata, a lush, dense-growing shrub, can be used to treat haemorrhoids, sore throats and bladder and menstrual complaints.