NameCensus.

UK surname

Cleaves

A topographic surname derived from a cliff or steep slope.

In the 1881 census there were 153 people recorded with the Cleaves surname, ranking it #15,320 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 301, ranked #14,696, up from #15,320 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Trevethin with Pontypool and Hambledon. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Blaenau Gwent, Monmouthshire and Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cleaves is 386 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 96.7%.

1881 census count

153

Ranked #15,320

Modern count

301

2016, ranked #14,696

Peak year

1999

386 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cleaves had 153 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,320 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 301 in 2016, ranked #14,696.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 278 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Cleaves surname distribution map

The map shows where the Cleaves surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Cleaves surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cleaves over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 83 #19,181
1861 historical 130 #17,164
1881 historical 153 #15,320
1891 historical 222 #13,854
1901 historical 235 #13,662
1911 historical 278 #12,038
1997 modern 363 #11,849
1998 modern 363 #12,228
1999 modern 386 #11,740
2000 modern 370 #12,078
2001 modern 364 #12,033
2002 modern 366 #12,221
2003 modern 347 #12,479
2004 modern 345 #12,571
2005 modern 331 #12,913
2006 modern 326 #13,128
2007 modern 331 #13,117
2008 modern 324 #13,437
2009 modern 322 #13,741
2010 modern 329 #13,818
2011 modern 331 #13,641
2012 modern 319 #13,898
2013 modern 317 #14,186
2014 modern 317 #14,269
2015 modern 313 #14,313
2016 modern 301 #14,696

Geography

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Where Cleaves' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Trevethin with Pontypool, Hambledon, Bedwelty and Farmborough. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Blaenau Gwent, Monmouthshire, Cornwall and Isle of Wight. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Trevethin with Pontypool Monmouthshire
3 Hambledon Hampshire
4 Bedwelty Monmouthshire
5 Farmborough Somerset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Blaenau Gwent 004 Blaenau Gwent
2 Monmouthshire 004 Monmouthshire
3 Cornwall 039 Cornwall
4 Isle of Wight 016 Isle of Wight
5 Monmouthshire 010 Monmouthshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cleaves

These lists show first names that appear often with the Cleaves surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cleaves

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Cleaves, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Cleaves surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Cleaves household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Cleaves is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Cleaves is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cleaves falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Cleaves is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Cleaves, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Cleaves

The surname Cleaves originated in England and derives from an Old English word "clif" meaning a cliff or slope. It was initially used as a toponymic surname, referring to someone who lived near a prominent cliff or hillside.

One of the earliest known records of the surname dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Cliuese" in Gloucestershire. This entry suggests the name was well-established in parts of southwestern England by the late 11th century.

During the Middle Ages, the spelling evolved to forms like Clyves, Clyffe, and Cleeve before settling into the modern Cleaves rendition. Many places in England contain variations like Cleve, Cliffe, or Cleeve, hinting at the geographical origins of some Cleaves families.

A notable early bearer was William Clyff, born around 1465 in Somerset. He served as a clerk and legal official under Henry VII. Another was Richard Cleave, a prosperous merchant in 16th century Bristol who helped fund the city's grammar school.

As the surname spread, it appeared in parish registers across southern counties like Dorset, Devon, and Cornwall. The 1670 Hearth Tax records for Somerset list several Cleaves households.

During the 17th century, some Cleaves migrated to the American colonies. One of the earliest was George Cleave, born around 1590 in England, who settled in Casco Bay (modern Maine) in 1630 and served as a deputy president of the Lygonia plantation.

Other notable figures include Francis Cleaves (1833-1915), an English-born coal miner and trade unionist in Pennsylvania, and John Cleaves (1816-1891), a shipbuilder and merchant from Saco, Maine instrumental in developing the state's lumber industry.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cleaves families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cleaves surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Kent leads with 35 Cleaves' recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.87x.

County Total Index
Kent 35 6.87x
Hampshire 23 7.52x
Monmouthshire 23 21.32x
Somerset 22 9.16x
Middlesex 18 1.21x
Surrey 9 1.24x
Lancashire 5 0.28x
Essex 4 1.36x
Gloucestershire 4 1.37x
Shropshire 2 1.55x
Yorkshire 2 0.14x
Ayrshire 1 0.90x
Morayshire 1 4.31x
Northamptonshire 1 0.71x
Staffordshire 1 0.20x
Warwickshire 1 0.27x
Worcestershire 1 0.51x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Trevethin in Monmouthshire leads with 21 Cleaves' recorded in 1881 and an index of 206.08x.

Place Total Index
Trevethin 21 206.08x
Gillingham 12 114.29x
High Littleton 10 2500.00x
Farleigh Wallop 9 18000.00x
Farmborough 7 1627.91x
Hambledon 7 679.61x
Titchfield 7 303.03x
Battersea 6 10.93x
Margate St John Baptist 6 64.38x
Teynham 6 652.17x
Leyton Low 4 66.78x
St Andrew Holborn London 4 61.92x
Upchurch 4 701.75x
Bristol St Peter 3 285.71x
Clerkenwell London 3 8.52x
Milton In Milton 3 138.89x
Ellesmere 2 90.50x
Farnham 2 35.40x
Islington London 2 1.38x
Preston Next Faversham 2 166.67x
Wells St Cuthbert 2 121.95x
West Derby 2 3.86x
Ashley 1 666.67x
Bedminster 1 4.43x
Beverley St Martin 1 40.49x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 1 3.63x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 3.55x
Christchurch 1 29.94x
Colmonell 1 89.29x
Duffus 1 49.02x
Hornsey 1 5.30x
Horton In Bradford 1 4.33x
Kensington London 1 1.21x
Leamington Priors 1 10.80x
Lee 1 13.53x
Lewisham 1 3.68x
Manchester 1 1.26x
Mynyddyslwyn 1 23.47x
Paddington London 1 1.82x
Penge 1 10.49x
Pilton 1 175.44x
Shadwell London 1 23.92x
St Botolph Bishopsgate 1 47.39x
St Marylebone London 1 1.26x
St Pancras London 1 0.83x
West Pennard 1 256.41x
Westminster St James 1 6.52x
Wigan 1 4.04x
Willesden 1 7.11x
Wolverhampton 1 2.58x
Yardley 1 20.04x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Cleaves surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Elizabeth 9
Mary 8
Jane 5
Kate 4
Caroline 3
Ellen 3
Emily 3
Emma 3
Alice 2
Ann 2
Florence 2
Henrietta 2
Sarah 2
Susan 2
Allice 1
Bertha 1
Charity 1
Deborah 1
Deliliah 1
Eliza 1
Elling 1
Georgina 1
Gertrude 1
Grace 1
Hannah 1
Harriett 1
Hilda 1
Jessie 1
Kozia 1
Louisa 1
Luther 1
Maryann 1
Rachael 1
Rachel 1
Rebecca 1
Roasa 1
Rosa 1
Rose 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Cleaves surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
George 13
William 12
John 9
Henry 5
James 4
Alfred 3
Charles 3
Thomas 3
Arthur 2
E.J. 2
Edward 2
Herbert 2
Richard 2
Samuel 2
Arther 1
Authur 1
Bertie 1
David 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Gilbert 1
Job 1
Joseph 1
Lewis 1
Ralph 1
Rob. 1
Vernon 1

FAQ

Cleaves surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cleaves surname in 1881?

In 1881, 153 people were recorded with the Cleaves surname. That placed it at #15,320 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cleaves surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 301 in 2016. That gives Cleaves a modern rank of #14,696.

What does the Cleaves surname mean?

A topographic surname derived from a cliff or steep slope.

What does the Cleaves map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Cleaves bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.