Cleveland
A locational surname meaning “from Cleveland,” an old place-name in Yorkshire.
The #1,127 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 9,920 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Cleveland comes from an Old English place-name in Yorkshire, referring to the district of Cleveland near Ormesby. The name is usually explained as meaning “cliff-land” or “steep land,” from Old English elements for a cliff or bank and land. As a surname, it was first used to identify people who came from that area.
History
Medieval records show forms such as de Clyveland and de Cleveland in the 14th century. The surname later spread beyond Yorkshire, and bearers carried it to other parts of Britain and, eventually, North America. It also appears in the history of the English peerage through the title Duchess of Cleveland.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Cleveland is also the name of the Yorkshire district that gave rise to the surname, and it helped inspire later place-names elsewhere, including Cleveland in Ohio.
From the historical record
“to decide. CLEVELAND. A hamlet in the parish of Ormesby, co. York. CLEVERLY. A corruption of Claverley, CO. Salop. CLE VL AND, The C.'s of Devonshire are a branch of the Clculauds or Clelands of CO. Lanark. CLEWER. A p.arish in Berkshire, for- merly called Cleworth.”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom