NameCensus.

UK surname

Cloy

A variant spelling of the Scottish surname "Cloy", referring to someone from the lands near Cloyne, Ireland.

In the 1881 census there were 29 people recorded with the Cloy surname, ranking it #29,484 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 149, ranked #23,844, up from #29,484 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Newton Stewart, Stranraer West and Castle Douglas.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cloy is 149 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 413.8%.

1881 census count

29

Ranked #29,484

Modern count

149

2016, ranked #23,844

Peak year

2013

149 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cloy had 29 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #29,484 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 149 in 2016, ranked #23,844.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 67 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Cloy surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cloy surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cloy 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 36 #26,838
1861 historical 43 #28,562
1881 historical 29 #29,484
1891 historical 67 #28,424
1901 historical 40 #29,678
1911 historical 24 #30,800
1997 modern 119 #24,302
1998 modern 127 #23,940
1999 modern 139 #22,884
2000 modern 126 #24,220
2001 modern 120 #24,615
2002 modern 121 #24,984
2003 modern 128 #23,890
2004 modern 119 #25,200
2005 modern 120 #25,066
2006 modern 132 #23,834
2007 modern 133 #24,059
2008 modern 130 #24,695
2009 modern 131 #25,056
2010 modern 130 #25,775
2011 modern 130 #25,547
2012 modern 138 #24,614
2013 modern 149 #23,765
2014 modern 147 #24,177
2015 modern 149 #23,817
2016 modern 149 #23,844

Geography

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Where Cloys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Newton Stewart, Stranraer West, Castle Douglas, Wirral and Stranraer East. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Newton Stewart Dumfries and Galloway
2 Stranraer West Dumfries and Galloway
3 Castle Douglas Dumfries and Galloway
4 Wirral 006 Wirral
5 Stranraer East Dumfries and Galloway

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cloy

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cloy

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Cloy surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Cloy household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Cloy 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

Cloy 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

Cloy 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 Cloy 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Cloy

The surname CLOY has its origins in the Normandy region of northern France, dating back to the 11th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "cloie," meaning "enclosure" or "fence," possibly referring to a person who lived near or worked with enclosures or fences.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the CLOY surname can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of land ownership and taxation compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Cloie" in this historical document, suggesting its presence in England shortly after the Norman Conquest of 1066.

During the Middle Ages, the CLOY surname was prominent in the county of Wiltshire, particularly in the village of Cloy, which may have taken its name from the same Old French root. Records from the 13th century mention a Robert de Cloy, who held lands in the area.

In the 14th century, a John Cloy served as a bailiff in the city of Bristol, indicating the surname's presence in urban centers as well as rural areas. Another notable bearer of the name was Sir William Cloy, a knight who fought alongside Edward III during the Hundred Years' War in the mid-14th century.

By the 16th century, the CLOY surname had spread across England, with families settling in various counties, including Yorkshire and Lancashire. One prominent figure from this period was Thomas Cloy (1518-1584), a wealthy merchant and alderman in the city of London.

In the 17th century, the CLOY surname found its way to the American colonies, with several immigrants arriving in Virginia and Massachusetts. One such immigrant was John Cloy, who settled in Virginia in 1635 and became a prominent landowner and planter.

Throughout history, the CLOY surname has been subject to various spelling variations, including Cloye, Clois, Cloise, and Cloise. Despite these variations, the name has maintained its distinct identity and can be traced back to its Norman roots.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cloy families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cloy 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. Lancashire leads with 14 Cloys recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.17x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 14 4.17x
Wigtownshire 13 346.67x
Argyllshire 1 12.71x
Lanarkshire 1 1.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stoneykirk in Wigtownshire leads with 9 Cloys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3333.33x.

Place Total Index
Stoneykirk 9 3333.33x
Moss Side 5 282.49x
Toxteth Park 5 44.01x
Old Luce 4 1666.67x
Pendleton In Salford 4 100.00x
Anderston 1 5000.00x
Killean Kilchenzie 1 769.23x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Jane 2
Alice 1
Annie 1
Elizabeth 1
Margaret 1
Sarah 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Daniel 2
Alexander 1
Harry 1
James 1
William 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Cloy households.

FAQ

Cloy surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cloy surname in 1881?

In 1881, 29 people were recorded with the Cloy surname. That placed it at #29,484 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cloy surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 149 in 2016. That gives Cloy a modern rank of #23,844.

What does the Cloy surname mean?

A variant spelling of the Scottish surname "Cloy", referring to someone from the lands near Cloyne, Ireland.

What does the Cloy map show?

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