Find out how popular the last name Cleary is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Cleary.

Cleary, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Cleary surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cleary in America

Cleary is the 2280th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cleary surname appeared 15,980 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Cleary.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cleary to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Cleary

The surname Cleary is of Irish origin, with its roots traced back to the Gaelic word "O'Cleirigh," which means "descendant of the clerk or cleric." The name is believed to have originated in County Tipperary, Ireland, in the early medieval period.

The Cleary name is believed to have been mentioned in various historical records, such as the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is Cormac O'Cleirigh, who lived in the 14th century and was a renowned scribe and scholar.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Cleary name was prominent in County Tipperary, particularly in the baronies of Clanwilliam and Middlethird. The name was also found in other counties, including Clare, Cork, and Limerick, where it was sometimes spelled as Clery or Clarie.

One notable figure in Irish history was Michael O'Clery (c. 1575-1643), a Franciscan friar and one of the principal authors of the Annals of the Four Masters. His work was instrumental in preserving Irish history and literature during a time of great turmoil.

In the 18th century, the Cleary name began to spread beyond Ireland as a result of the Irish diaspora. John Cleary (1719-1789) was a prominent merchant and landowner in Waterford, Ireland, and his descendants later settled in various parts of North America and Australia.

Another notable figure was John Cleary (1801-1870), an Irish-born politician and lawyer who served as a member of the House of Commons in Canada. He played a significant role in the development of the Canadian legal system and was a staunch advocate for responsible government.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the Cleary name was Michael Cleary (1727-1798), an Irish immigrant who settled in Pennsylvania and fought in the American Revolutionary War.

Throughout history, the Cleary name has been associated with various occupations, including scholars, clergy, merchants, lawyers, and politicians. The name has also been linked to several place names in Ireland, such as Cleary's Cross and Cleary's Bridge, reflecting the family's deep roots in the country.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cleary

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Cleary.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Cleary was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Cleary has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Cleary was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Cleary, please contact us.

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