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

Cly, 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 Cly surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cly in America

Cly is the 32865th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cly surname appeared 698 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 Cly.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cly 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 Cly

The surname CLY originated in England during the Anglo-Saxon era, deriving from the Old English word "clæg" meaning "clayey soil" or "clay pit." It was initially a locational surname, indicating that the bearer lived near an area with clay deposits.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name CLY can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which lists several individuals with variations of the spelling, such as Clie and Cly. This suggests that the surname was already well-established by the late 11th century.

During the medieval period, the CLY surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, and Leicestershire. The village of Cly in Lincolnshire is believed to have been named after an early bearer of the surname, indicating their presence in the region.

Notable individuals with the surname CLY include:

1. Robert Cly (c. 1300 - 1370), a wealthy landowner from Derbyshire who served as a Member of Parliament for the county in 1344.

2. Margaret Cly (c. 1420 - 1490), a renowned herbalist and midwife from Nottinghamshire, renowned for her knowledge of medicinal plants and natural remedies.

3. John Cly (1554 - 1611), a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Leicester, known for his philanthropic endeavors and support of local charities.

4. Edward Cly (1685 - 1747), a renowned architect from Derbyshire who designed several notable buildings in the region, including St. Mary's Church in Derby.

5. Elizabeth Cly (1745 - 1823), an influential Quaker activist from Leicestershire, who campaigned for the abolition of slavery and advocated for women's rights.

The CLY surname has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Clydesdale in Derbyshire, Cley-next-the-Sea in Norfolk, and Clydach in Monmouthshire. These place names often reflect the presence of clay deposits or clay-based industries in the area.

While the surname CLY has remained relatively uncommon throughout history, it has left a notable mark on various aspects of English society, including politics, architecture, medicine, and social reform movements.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cly

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

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

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

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