You raise a valid point, and it is true that the terms "s/p/d/f" clouds or "s/p/d/f" subshells can be more conceptually accurate in describing the spatial distribution of electrons. The terms "s/p/d/f" orbitals or subshells are traditionally used due to historical reasons and the historical development of quantum theory.
While it is commonly said that electrons "orbit" the nucleus, this is an oversimplification. In reality, electrons occupy regions of space known as orbitals, which are three-dimensional probability distributions. These orbitals represent the likelihood of finding an electron at a particular location around the nucleus.
The shapes of the orbitals are derived from the solutions of the Schrödinger equation, which describes the behavior of electrons in quantum mechanics. The "s/p/d/f" labels describe the different orbital shapes that electrons can adopt within each principal energy level or shell.
So, while the terms "s/p/d/f" clouds might better represent the electron probability distributions, the terms "s/p/d/f" orbitals or subshells are still widely used to describe these electron configurations due to historical convention and the terminology established in quantum mechanics.