NameCensus.

UK surname

Mccleery

A Scottish surname derived from a place name meaning "son of the clerk" or "son of the clergyman".

In the 1881 census there were 38 people recorded with the Mccleery surname, ranking it #28,285 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 142, ranked #24,625, up from #28,285 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Oxford, Isle of Anglesey and Neath Port Talbot.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mccleery is 149 in 2004. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 273.7%.

1881 census count

38

Ranked #28,285

Modern count

142

2016, ranked #24,625

Peak year

2004

149 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mccleery had 38 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #28,285 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 142 in 2016, ranked #24,625.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 50 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Mccleery surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mccleery surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mccleery 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 16 #30,441
1861 historical 28 #30,405
1881 historical 38 #28,285
1891 historical 32 #31,754
1901 historical 50 #28,590
1911 historical 42 #28,691
1997 modern 129 #23,143
1998 modern 132 #23,394
1999 modern 138 #22,983
2000 modern 143 #22,457
2001 modern 140 #22,441
2002 modern 142 #22,687
2003 modern 143 #22,367
2004 modern 149 #21,905
2005 modern 142 #22,577
2006 modern 141 #22,833
2007 modern 142 #23,025
2008 modern 141 #23,383
2009 modern 130 #25,176
2010 modern 138 #24,801
2011 modern 137 #24,716
2012 modern 133 #25,187
2013 modern 144 #24,323
2014 modern 140 #24,977
2015 modern 142 #24,617
2016 modern 142 #24,625

Geography

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Where Mccleerys 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 Oxford, Isle of Anglesey, Neath Port Talbot, Eastbourne and Winchester. 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 Oxford 012 Oxford
2 Isle of Anglesey 001 Isle of Anglesey
3 Neath Port Talbot 008 Neath Port Talbot
4 Eastbourne 011 Eastbourne
5 Winchester 007 Winchester

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mccleery

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mccleery

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Mccleery surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Mccleery household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

European Enclaves

Within London, Mccleery is most associated with areas classed as European Enclaves, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

Many residents of these accessible neighbourhoods have wide-ranging non-UK European origins. Typically residing in privately rented flats, many residents live alone and are beyond normal retirement age. There are more students than elsewhere in the Supergroup, some of which live in communal establishments. Household residents are often drawn from different ethnic groups.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mccleery is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Mccleery

The surname McCleery originates from Scotland, where it first appeared in the 13th century. It is derived from the Scottish Gaelic word "clèireach," which means "cleric" or "clerk." This suggests that the name was originally used to identify someone who worked as a clerk or in a clerical position.

The name is believed to have originated in the Scottish Lowlands, particularly in the areas around Edinburgh and the Lothians. Early variations of the spelling included McClerrie, McClerye, and McClery.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls, a collection of documents from the late 13th century that recorded the names of Scottish nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. In these rolls, the name is spelled as "MacClery."

In the 16th century, a notable figure with the surname McCleery was John McCleery, a Scottish scholar and theologian who lived from 1520 to 1587. He was a prominent figure in the Scottish Reformation and served as a minister in the Church of Scotland.

Another early record of the name comes from the Parish Registers of Dumfries, Scotland, where a James McCleery was listed as a resident in the year 1642.

In the 18th century, a notable McCleery was Robert McCleery, a Scottish merchant and landowner who lived from 1725 to 1798. He was a prosperous businessman and owned several properties in the Highlands of Scotland.

During the 19th century, a prominent McCleery was William McCleery, a Scottish-born civil engineer who lived from 1818 to 1892. He was involved in the construction of several important infrastructure projects in the United States, including the Croton Aqueduct in New York City.

Another notable figure with the surname was John McCleery, an Irish-born author and playwright who lived from 1860 to 1937. He wrote several novels and plays that explored themes of Irish identity and culture.

The surname McCleery can also be found in various place names throughout Scotland, such as the village of McCleery's Moor in East Ayrshire and the McCleery's Burn, a stream that flows through the Scottish Borders region.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mccleery families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mccleery 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. Northumberland leads with 4 Mccleerys recorded in 1881 and an index of 69.20x.

County Total Index
Northumberland 4 69.20x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Benwell in Northumberland leads with 4 Mccleerys recorded in 1881 and an index of 6666.67x.

Place Total Index
Benwell 4 6666.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Jane 1
Martha 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 1
Willm. 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 Mccleery households.

Occupation Count
Scholar 4

FAQ

Mccleery surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mccleery surname in 1881?

In 1881, 38 people were recorded with the Mccleery surname. That placed it at #28,285 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mccleery surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 142 in 2016. That gives Mccleery a modern rank of #24,625.

What does the Mccleery surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from a place name meaning "son of the clerk" or "son of the clergyman".

What does the Mccleery map show?

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