Cleary
An Irish surname usually linked to Gaelic words for “clerk” or “clergyman,” with some families also connected to older forms of O'Clery.
The #2,280 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 19,321 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Cleary is generally explained as an Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic Cleireach, meaning “clerk,” “cleric,” or “clergyman.” In older surname work, it is also connected with Mac Cleary and O'Clery, forms built on the same Gaelic root. The name therefore began as a descriptive family name for someone associated with learning, writing, or the church.
History
The surname is especially associated with Ireland, and historical references place notable Cleary families in County Donegal. English-language surname books in the 19th and early 20th centuries commonly treat Cleary and Clery as related spellings or forms. In some cases the name may reflect a direct translation or anglicization of Gaelic surname forms such as Mac Cleireach or O'Clery.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older surname dictionaries sometimes gloss the name so literally that Cleary can be read as “the clerk” or “the clergyman.”
From the historical record
“CLEARE. See Clare. CLEARY. See Clary. CLEASBY. A parish in Yorkshire. CLEAVE. See Cleeve. CLEAVER. One who cleaves wood. In forest districts, lath-cleaving is still a dis- tinct occupation. CLEE. Parishes in cos. Lincoln and Salop.”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom