NameCensus.

UK surname

Clewley

A locational surname denoting someone from any of several places named with the Olde English word for a hill or cliff.

In the 1881 census there were 280 people recorded with the Clewley surname, ranking it #10,202 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 375, ranked #12,457, down from #10,202 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Harborne, London parishes and Margate. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wiltshire, Walsall and Amber Valley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Clewley is 468 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 33.9%.

1881 census count

280

Ranked #10,202

Modern count

375

2016, ranked #12,457

Peak year

1911

468 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Clewley had 280 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,202 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 375 in 2016, ranked #12,457.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 468 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Clewley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Clewley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Clewley 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 203 #10,291
1861 historical 136 #16,556
1881 historical 280 #10,202
1891 historical 407 #8,750
1901 historical 407 #9,374
1911 historical 468 #8,247
1997 modern 392 #11,178
1998 modern 430 #10,772
1999 modern 416 #11,110
2000 modern 425 #10,898
2001 modern 406 #11,096
2002 modern 406 #11,315
2003 modern 393 #11,401
2004 modern 408 #11,117
2005 modern 401 #11,165
2006 modern 400 #11,257
2007 modern 403 #11,315
2008 modern 393 #11,641
2009 modern 408 #11,541
2010 modern 411 #11,723
2011 modern 403 #11,806
2012 modern 373 #12,344
2013 modern 384 #12,295
2014 modern 386 #12,318
2015 modern 375 #12,470
2016 modern 375 #12,457

Geography

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Where Clewleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Harborne, London parishes, Margate, Cannock and Longdon. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wiltshire, Walsall, Amber Valley, South Staffordshire and Calderdale. 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 Harborne Worcestershire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Margate Kent
4 Cannock Staffordshire
5 Longdon Staffordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wiltshire 007 Wiltshire
2 Walsall 017 Walsall
3 Amber Valley 004 Amber Valley
4 South Staffordshire 007 South Staffordshire
5 Calderdale 024 Calderdale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Clewley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Clewley

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Clewley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Clewley household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Clewley is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Clewley is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Clewley 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 Clewley 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 Clewley, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Clewley

The surname Clewley is an English name that originated in the region of Cheshire, England, during the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "cloh," meaning a ravine or valley, and "leah," meaning a meadow or clearing. This suggests that the name likely referred to someone who lived in or near a meadow or clearing within a ravine or valley.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a person named "Cleuuelei" living in Cheshire. This spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time, with later records showing spellings such as "Clewley," "Clowley," and "Cleuley."

In the 13th century, a William Clewley was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Cheshire, indicating the presence of the family in the region during that time. The name also appears in various other historical documents, including parish records and land registers, throughout the centuries.

Notable individuals with the surname Clewley include:

1. John Clewley (c. 1558-1637), an English clergyman and author who served as the rector of Kilkhampton in Cornwall. 2. Samuel Clewley (1683-1737), a Welsh minister and author who wrote extensively on religious topics. 3. William Clewley (1754-1828), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars. 4. Sarah Clewley (1851-1927), a Welsh teacher and philanthropist who founded several schools in Wales. 5. Alfred Clewley (1879-1957), a British artist and illustrator known for his landscapes and portraits.

The name Clewley has also been associated with various place names, such as Clewley Hill in Gloucestershire, England, and Clewley Farm in Cheshire, where the surname likely originated.

While the surname has its roots in Cheshire, it has since spread to other parts of England, as well as to other countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia, due to migration and immigration patterns over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Clewley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Clewley 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. Staffordshire leads with 158 Clewleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.08x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 158 17.08x
Surrey 25 1.87x
Middlesex 18 0.66x
Oxfordshire 14 8.27x
Derbyshire 11 2.56x
Warwickshire 11 1.59x
Kent 9 0.96x
Lancashire 8 0.25x
Yorkshire 8 0.29x
Buckinghamshire 5 3.02x
Nottinghamshire 5 1.35x
Flintshire 4 5.43x
Cheshire 2 0.33x
Hampshire 1 0.18x
Shropshire 1 0.42x
Worcestershire 1 0.28x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Cannock in Staffordshire leads with 32 Clewleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 198.14x.

Place Total Index
Cannock 32 198.14x
Harborne 17 57.34x
Rugeley 13 195.78x
Willenhall 13 75.01x
Longdon 12 937.50x
Alfreton 11 84.36x
Birmingham 10 4.34x
Essington 10 819.67x
Southwark St George Martyr 10 18.13x
Margate St John Baptist 8 46.73x
Ogley Hay 8 416.67x
Oxford St Ebbe 8 160.64x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 7 27.66x
Burntwood Edial 7 118.44x
St Botolph Aldgate London 7 124.11x
Stoke Upon Trent 7 7.13x
Cheslyn Hay 6 355.03x
Islington London 6 2.26x
West Bromwich 6 11.33x
Bulwell 5 62.27x
Lambeth 5 2.09x
Norton Canes 5 148.37x
Walsall Foreign 5 10.46x
Bermondsey 4 4.90x
Camberwell 4 2.28x
Chorlton On Medlock 4 7.74x
Hawarden Saltney 4 388.35x
Wolverhampton 4 5.62x
Aylesbury 3 40.87x
Mavesyn Ridware 3 681.82x
Oxford St Thomas 3 37.97x
Uttoxeter 3 63.29x
Beachampton 2 1000.00x
Great Wyrley 2 200.00x
Kensington London 2 1.31x
Newington 2 1.98x
Over Darwen 2 7.70x
Oxford St Peter Le Bailey 2 238.10x
Preston 2 2.30x
St Helen Bishopsgate 2 740.74x
Albrighton 1 87.72x
Alton 1 100.00x
Aston 1 0.53x
Eling 1 17.57x
Featherstone 1 32.79x
Hammerwich 1 76.34x
Hamstall Ridware 1 277.78x
Leek Lowe 1 8.12x
Monks Coppenhall 1 4.38x
Northenden 1 90.91x
Oxford St Clement 1 23.42x
St Marylebone London 1 0.68x
St Peters 1 23.09x
Stafford St Mary 1 7.63x
Upton On Severn 1 42.74x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 16
Thomas 15
George 14
William 13
Charles 10
Joseph 9
Alfred 8
Henry 5
James 5
Arthur 4
Edward 4
Frederick 4
Robert 4
Isaac 3
Daniel 2
Samuel 2
Walter 2
Andrew 1
Beatrice 1
Chas. 1
David 1
Emanuel 1
Emma 1
Hamer 1
Harry 1
Horrace 1
Jesse 1
Jno. 1
Patrick 1
Philip 1
Thos. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Clewley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Clewley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 280 people were recorded with the Clewley surname. That placed it at #10,202 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Clewley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 375 in 2016. That gives Clewley a modern rank of #12,457.

What does the Clewley surname mean?

A locational surname denoting someone from any of several places named with the Olde English word for a hill or cliff.

What does the Clewley map show?

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