NameCensus.

UK surname

Cleveland

A locational surname referring to someone from the city of Cleveland or the Cleveland district in England.

In the 1881 census there were 582 people recorded with the Cleveland surname, ranking it #5,992 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 793, ranked #6,970, down from #5,992 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet,, London parishes and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Waveney.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cleveland is 864 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 36.3%.

1881 census count

582

Ranked #5,992

Modern count

793

2016, ranked #6,970

Peak year

1911

864 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cleveland had 582 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,992 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 793 in 2016, ranked #6,970.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 864 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Cleveland surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cleveland surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Cleveland 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 296 #7,723
1861 historical 304 #8,340
1881 historical 582 #5,992
1891 historical 615 #6,260
1901 historical 727 #6,096
1911 historical 864 #5,140
1997 modern 810 #6,472
1998 modern 827 #6,585
1999 modern 844 #6,523
2000 modern 833 #6,567
2001 modern 834 #6,438
2002 modern 833 #6,560
2003 modern 795 #6,685
2004 modern 785 #6,771
2005 modern 762 #6,870
2006 modern 745 #7,018
2007 modern 747 #7,075
2008 modern 746 #7,135
2009 modern 772 #7,081
2010 modern 798 #7,047
2011 modern 790 #7,023
2012 modern 786 #6,945
2013 modern 787 #7,058
2014 modern 807 #6,947
2015 modern 794 #6,980
2016 modern 793 #6,970

Geography

Back to top

Where Clevelands are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet,, London parishes, Manchester and St Michael-le-Belfry, St Giles. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Waveney. 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 Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet, Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 St Michael-le-Belfry, St Giles Yorkshire, East Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Waveney 004 Waveney
2 Waveney 006 Waveney
3 Waveney 002 Waveney
4 Waveney 005 Waveney
5 Waveney 009 Waveney

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Cleveland

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Cleveland

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Cleveland, 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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Cleveland is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Cleveland is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

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

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cleveland falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Cleveland is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Cleveland

The surname Cleveland originated in England, deriving from the place name "Cleveland" which refers to a hilly region in the North Riding of Yorkshire. The name is thought to have derived from the Old English words "clif" meaning cliff or hill, and "land" meaning land or territory.

Records show that the Cleveland surname first appeared in the late 11th century, shortly after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. One of the earliest known references to the name is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which recorded landowners in England after the Norman invasion.

The Cleveland name can be traced back to the village of Cleveland, located in the North Riding of Yorkshire. This village was likely named after the surrounding hilly region it was situated in. Over time, people from the Cleveland area adopted the place name as their surname.

In the 13th century, there are records of a Richard de Cleveland who was a prominent landowner in Yorkshire. Another early bearer of the name was John de Cleveland, who was born around 1330 and served as a knight during the Hundred Years' War.

One of the most famous individuals with the Cleveland surname was Grover Cleveland, the 22nd and 24th President of the United States, who was born in 1837 and served as president from 1885 to 1889, and again from 1893 to 1897.

Other notable individuals with the Cleveland surname include:

1. Benjamin Cleveland (1738-1806), an American Revolutionary War soldier and militia leader. 2. Moses Cleveland (1754-1806), an American surveyor and founder of the city of Cleveland, Ohio. 3. John Cleveland (1613-1658), an English poet and satirist during the English Civil War. 4. Samuel Cleveland (1837-1915), an American businessman and philanthropist, who co-founded the Cleveland Twist Drill Company.

Throughout history, variations in the spelling of the Cleveland surname have included Cleaveland, Clevland, and Clyveland, often reflecting regional dialects and variations in pronunciation.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Cleveland families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cleveland 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. Middlesex leads with 98 Clevelands recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.72x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 98 1.72x
Suffolk 98 14.15x
Gloucestershire 60 5.38x
Kent 58 2.99x
Surrey 54 1.95x
Yorkshire 49 0.87x
Hampshire 27 2.32x
Lancashire 21 0.31x
Warwickshire 18 1.26x
Sussex 16 1.67x
Wiltshire 16 3.18x
Norfolk 14 1.60x
Essex 13 1.16x
Lincolnshire 9 0.99x
Worcestershire 9 1.21x
Durham 7 0.41x
Nottinghamshire 7 0.91x
Leicestershire 3 0.48x
Derbyshire 1 0.11x
Devon 1 0.08x
Monmouthshire 1 0.24x
Royal Navy 1 1.48x
Somerset 1 0.11x
Staffordshire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lowestoft in Suffolk leads with 19 Clevelands recorded in 1881 and an index of 58.07x.

Place Total Index
Lowestoft 19 58.07x
Gloucester St John Baptist 16 222.22x
Kensington London 14 4.43x
Camberwell 12 3.30x
Cirencester 12 79.47x
Islington London 12 2.18x
Margate St John Baptist 12 33.77x
Beccles 11 98.65x
Horsley 11 222.67x
Lambeth 11 2.22x
St Pancras London 11 2.40x
Birmingham 10 2.09x
Southampton All Sts 10 50.00x
St Marylebone London 10 3.29x
Flaxton 9 1267.61x
Ramsgate 9 28.42x
Rumburgh 9 1285.71x
Warblington 9 194.81x
Worcester Blockhouse 9 220.59x
Askham Bryan 8 1355.93x
Calne 8 77.29x
Cheltenham 8 9.30x
Croydon 8 5.20x
Kirkley 8 137.93x
Sutton 8 124.61x
Trowbridge 8 35.99x
Warrington 8 10.00x
Brighton 7 3.62x
Chelsea London 7 4.08x
Horsham 7 37.57x
West Ham 7 2.82x
Westoe 7 7.30x
Brampton 6 1034.48x
Chedgrave 6 833.33x
Leamington Priors 6 17.00x
Paddington London 6 2.87x
Richmond 6 15.45x
Appleton Roebuck 5 581.40x
Aspull 5 31.51x
Benhall 5 413.22x
Clee With Weelsby 5 25.11x
Colne 5 24.88x
Dorking 5 26.87x
Ealing 5 9.84x
Nottingham St Mary 5 2.52x
Portsea 5 2.19x
Sculcoates 5 5.60x
Spexhall 5 1250.00x
Stratton 5 370.37x
Teddington London 5 38.79x
Walberswick 5 877.19x
Wangford 5 384.62x
Battersea 4 1.91x
Deptford St Nicholas 4 25.97x
Eythorne 4 439.56x
Finchley 4 18.35x
Gorleston 4 22.73x
Hammersmith London 4 2.86x
Hougham 4 34.66x
Norwich St Augustine 4 113.31x
Oulton 4 170.94x
Adisham 3 337.08x
Cawood 3 138.89x
Gloucester Kingsholm St 3 72.12x
Greenwich 3 3.31x
Halesworth 3 61.10x
Hambleton 3 291.26x
Hernhill 3 205.48x
Leicester St Mary 3 5.89x
Newington 3 1.43x
Sheffield 3 1.67x
St Luke London 3 3.29x
West Derby 3 1.52x
Woodbridge 3 33.86x
Bristol St James St Paul 2 5.38x
Great Grimsby 2 3.47x
Kelsale 2 104.17x
Maidstone 2 3.46x
Romaldkirk 2 370.37x
Woolwich 2 2.79x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 33
George 25
James 21
John 20
Thomas 16
Henry 15
Arthur 13
Charles 12
Frederick 10
Richard 10
Robert 10
Walter 8
Alfred 7
Albert 6
Frank 6
Edward 5
Francis 5
Herbert 5
Joseph 5
Ernest 4
Edwin 3
Harry 3
Samuel 3
Andrew 2
David 2
Fred 2
Jas. 2
Sidney 2
Alexander 1
Archibald 1
Benjamin 1
Bryant 1
C. 1
Charlie 1
Elijah 1
Ellen 1
Ephraim 1
Felix 1
Frederic 1
Herley 1
Howard 1
Hulbert 1
Hy. 1
Isaac 1
Issac 1
Jno. 1
Jno.R. 1
Joshua 1
Minnie 1
Wm.Hy. 1

FAQ

Cleveland surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cleveland surname in 1881?

In 1881, 582 people were recorded with the Cleveland surname. That placed it at #5,992 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cleveland surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 793 in 2016. That gives Cleveland a modern rank of #6,970.

What does the Cleveland surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from the city of Cleveland or the Cleveland district in England.

What does the Cleveland map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Cleveland 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.