NameCensus.

UK surname

Cloke

A surname derived from Middle English "cloke," referring to someone who made or sold cloaks.

In the 1881 census there were 589 people recorded with the Cloke surname, ranking it #5,928 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,053, ranked #5,540, up from #5,928 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Mevagissey, Guestling and Charlton-near-Dover. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Dover, Cornwall and Torridge.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cloke is 1,190 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 78.8%.

1881 census count

589

Ranked #5,928

Modern count

1,053

2016, ranked #5,540

Peak year

1998

1,190 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cloke had 589 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,928 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,053 in 2016, ranked #5,540.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 951 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Cloke surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cloke surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cloke 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 298 #7,691
1861 historical 310 #8,175
1881 historical 589 #5,928
1891 historical 607 #6,324
1901 historical 837 #5,427
1911 historical 951 #4,738
1997 modern 1,139 #4,926
1998 modern 1,190 #4,918
1999 modern 1,159 #5,072
2000 modern 1,166 #5,024
2001 modern 1,155 #4,974
2002 modern 1,174 #4,989
2003 modern 1,185 #4,862
2004 modern 1,157 #4,971
2005 modern 1,124 #5,044
2006 modern 1,110 #5,104
2007 modern 1,100 #5,188
2008 modern 1,100 #5,214
2009 modern 1,104 #5,307
2010 modern 1,121 #5,350
2011 modern 1,129 #5,253
2012 modern 1,050 #5,494
2013 modern 1,050 #5,601
2014 modern 1,058 #5,595
2015 modern 1,055 #5,554
2016 modern 1,053 #5,540

Geography

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Where Clokes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Mevagissey, Guestling, Charlton-near-Dover, London parishes and Dover St James, Dover St Mary. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Dover, Cornwall and Torridge. 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 Mevagissey Cornwall
2 Guestling Sussex
3 Charlton-near-Dover Kent
4 London parishes London 3
5 Dover St James, Dover St Mary Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Dover 011 Dover
2 Cornwall 001 Cornwall
3 Torridge 001 Torridge
4 Cornwall 041 Cornwall
5 Dover 013 Dover

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cloke

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cloke

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Cloke, 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 Cloke surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Cloke 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Cloke 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

Cloke is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cloke falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Cloke 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 Cloke, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Cloke

The surname Cloke is of English origin, and it is believed to have originated in the county of Hampshire during the medieval period. The name is derived from the Old English word "cloc," which means "bell" or "cloak." It is possible that the name was initially given as a descriptive nickname to someone who worked as a bell-ringer or had some association with bells, or it could have referred to someone who wore a distinctive cloak.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cloke appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Hampshire in 1327, which lists a John Cloke. The Cloke surname is also found in various other historical records from the 14th and 15th centuries, such as the Feet of Fines for Berkshire in 1428, mentioning a Thomas Cloke.

In the 16th century, the name Cloke was particularly concentrated in the areas around Southampton and the Isle of Wight, with several variants of the spelling appearing in local records, such as Cloak, Cloake, and Clooke. One notable individual from this period was William Cloke (c. 1525-1585), a merchant and ship owner from Southampton who played a role in the establishment of the English colony in Virginia.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Cloke surname continued to be found in various parts of southern England, particularly in Hampshire, Berkshire, and Sussex. One notable bearer of the name was John Cloke (1642-1712), a prominent clockmaker from London who was appointed as the Master of the Clockmakers' Company in 1692.

In the 19th century, the Cloke surname gained some prominence in the literary world with the poet and writer Richard Cloke (1825-1892), who was born in Hertfordshire and published several volumes of poetry and prose works. Another individual of note was Sir George Cloke (1835-1908), a British lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for several constituencies in the latter half of the 19th century.

Other notable individuals with the surname Cloke include the English artist and illustrator John Cloke (1905-1993), who was known for his illustrations of children's books, and the Australian cricketer Michael Cloke (born 1956), who played domestic cricket for Western Australia and South Australia in the 1970s and 1980s.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cloke families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cloke 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 239 Clokes recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.27x.

County Total Index
Kent 239 12.27x
Cornwall 85 13.16x
Sussex 75 7.80x
Devon 55 4.63x
Middlesex 40 0.70x
Lancashire 24 0.35x
Yorkshire 20 0.35x
Surrey 13 0.47x
Berkshire 11 2.57x
Glamorgan 8 0.81x
Hampshire 6 0.51x
Durham 3 0.18x
Carmarthenshire 2 0.83x
Suffolk 2 0.29x
Essex 1 0.09x
Hertfordshire 1 0.25x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Mevagissey in Cornwall leads with 46 Clokes recorded in 1881 and an index of 1072.26x.

Place Total Index
Mevagissey 46 1072.26x
Hythe St Leonard 33 479.65x
Charlton 24 185.61x
Hartland 23 621.62x
Saltwood 22 1617.65x
Guestling 20 1282.05x
Aston Cum Aughton 19 410.37x
Folkestone 17 45.01x
Hastings St Mary In The 17 82.81x
Ashford 15 79.11x
Sellinge 13 1023.62x
Cheriton 12 151.13x
St Pancras London 12 2.61x
Tormoham 12 23.88x
Pillaton 11 1666.67x
Hartley 10 2000.00x
Smeeth 10 826.45x
Braunton 9 223.33x
Kensington London 9 2.84x
Wokingham 9 92.02x
Blackburn 8 4.44x
Canterbury St Peter 8 363.64x
Hastings St Clement 8 88.40x
Iden 8 733.95x
Landulph 8 808.08x
Newington In Elham 8 727.27x
Camberwell 7 1.92x
Garston 7 35.02x
Newton Nottage 7 256.41x
Sandwich St Mary 7 395.48x
Deal 6 36.12x
Hastings St Andrew 6 173.91x
Stalisfield 6 909.09x
Willesborough 6 114.50x
Brabourne 5 342.47x
Canterbury St Alphage 5 240.38x
Lanteglos By Fowey 5 190.11x
Ore 5 69.83x
South Stoneham 5 19.71x
Speldhurst 5 50.45x
St Marylebone London 5 1.64x
Clerkenwell London 4 2.97x
Plymouth St Andrew 4 4.37x
St Teath 4 102.83x
Stratton 4 114.29x
Waltham 4 404.04x
Ashton Under Lyne 3 2.03x
Bromley London 3 2.39x
Lambeth 3 0.60x
Plympton St Mary 3 43.67x
St Breward 3 211.27x
St George In East London 3 5.59x
Wardleworth 3 7.75x
Bekesbourne 2 303.03x
Bideford 2 15.72x
Brighton 2 1.03x
Cowfold 2 98.04x
Deptford St Paul 2 1.33x
Everton 2 0.93x
Ewell Lydden 2 131.58x
Greenwich 2 2.20x
Hart 2 48.31x
Hastings Holy Trinity 2 28.21x
Llanelly 2 3.69x
Lowestoft 2 6.09x
Sandhurst 2 24.10x
Staplegate 2 392.16x
Battersea 1 0.48x
Bermondsey 1 0.59x
Canterbury St Augustine 1 140.85x
Canterbury St Mildred 1 21.65x
Dartmouth Townstall 1 20.66x
Davington 1 227.27x
Fairlight 1 106.38x
Falmouth 1 4.37x
Hastings All Sts 1 11.03x
Madron Penzance 1 4.26x
Orlestone 1 123.46x
Paddington London 1 0.48x
Staines 1 11.06x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 34
William 33
Thomas 27
George 19
James 18
Charles 16
Frederick 10
Albert 9
Alfred 9
Samuel 9
Edward 8
Henry 8
Richard 8
Ernest 7
Francis 7
Joseph 7
Benjamin 6
Edmund 6
Edwin 4
Mark 4
Walter 4
Frank 3
Christopher 2
Daniel 2
Philip 2
Wm. 2
Abraham 1
Alexander 1
Augustus 1
Caleb 1
Cephas 1
Charley 1
Eli 1
Elijah 1
F.W. 1
Fredercik 1
Fredk. 1
Fredk.G. 1
Harold 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Ignatius 1
Isaac 1
J.M. 1
Jesse 1
Joe 1
Nathaniel 1
Noel 1
Peter 1
Robert 1

FAQ

Cloke surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cloke surname in 1881?

In 1881, 589 people were recorded with the Cloke surname. That placed it at #5,928 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cloke surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,053 in 2016. That gives Cloke a modern rank of #5,540.

What does the Cloke surname mean?

A surname derived from Middle English "cloke," referring to someone who made or sold cloaks.

What does the Cloke map show?

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