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

Cleverly, 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 Cleverly surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cleverly in America

Cleverly is the 40610th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cleverly surname appeared 538 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Cleverly.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cleverly 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 Cleverly

The surname Cleverly originates from England, first appearing in the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "clæfer" meaning clover and "leah" meaning a meadow or clearing, suggesting the name may have been a locational surname referring to someone who lived near a clover field.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of Yorkshire from 1273, where it appears as "Cleverley". This spelling variation is also seen in later records like the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1344, indicating the name was well-established in various regions of England by the 14th century.

The Cleverly name has its roots in the village of Claverley in Shropshire, which was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Claverleia". It's likely that some early bearers of the surname hailed from this area or nearby locations with similar place names, such as Claverham in Somerset or Cleverley in Lancashire.

Notable individuals with the surname Cleverly include Thomas Cleverly (1675-1749), an English clergyman and author known for his works on theology and philosophy. Another significant figure was Sir William Cleverly (1826-1895), a British naval officer who served in the Crimean War and later became a Member of Parliament.

In the realm of literature, the name is associated with the late 19th century English writer and poet Mary Cleverly (1854-1932), who published several volumes of poetry and worked as a librarian in London. The 20th century saw the rise of the British actor Jack Cleverly (1914-1988), who had a successful career on stage and television, particularly in Shakespearean roles.

More recently, the name gained recognition through the novelist J.L. Cleverly (1914-1996), best known for his mystery novels featuring the character Chief Inspector John Napoleonic Steed, which were later adapted into the popular television series "The Avengers".

While the Cleverly surname may not be as common as some others, its rich history and connections to various notable figures across different fields make it a fascinating name to explore and appreciate its enduring legacy throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cleverly

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

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 Cleverly 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 Cleverly 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 Cleverly was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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