CLEARY

Cleary is a surname of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic *Ó Cléirigh*, meaning “descendant of Cléireach”. The personal name Cléireach is itself taken from the word cléire, the Gaelic equivalent of the Latin clericus, and denotes a cleric or clerk.

The earliest forms of the name were recorded with the Gaelic prefixes Mac, Mc or O, yielding spellings such as O’Clery, MacClery, and McCleery. In later historical documents the prefixes are frequently omitted, producing the anglicised surnames Clery, Cleary and Clearie. These variations reflect the transition of the name from its original Gaelic context into the English-speaking world.

Notable early attestations of the surname include a 1376 entry for Johan M’Cleri in the Ancient Charters of the Earldom of Morton, dated during the reign of King Robert XI of Scotland. Additional medieval references are found in 1428 with John MacClerich of Kilravock, Nairnshire, and in 1636 where Conary O’Clery of County Galway is recorded as one of the authors of the “Annals of the Four Masters”. In the early eighteenth century the Rev. John Clarke served as priest to the Irish Brigades of the French army, and later instances record Julia and Desiree Cleary, daughters of an Irish merchant in Marseilles, who married brothers of Napoleon Bonaparte and later became Queen of Spain and Sweden respectively.

Within Ireland the name is most common in the province of Munster, especially in the counties of Cork, Limerick, Tipperary and County Cork. Historical concentrations also appear in County Monaghan and County Wexford. In the United Kingdom the surname is principally found in Lancashire, Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, with significant clusters in Scotland, particularly in Ayrshire, Midlothian, Stirlingshire and Lanarkshire.

In the United States Cleary appears throughout the country, with higher frequencies historically recorded in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. The name is also present in Canada in Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland; in Australia in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia; in New Zealand across both the North and South Islands; and in various European countries including France, Spain, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as in many Caribbean states.

The Cleary family crest traditionally depicts a lion rampant beside a boar passant. The lion represents courage and leadership, while the boar signifies fierceness and resoluteness in the face of adversity. These symbols are intended to convey the steadfast spirit that, according to heraldic tradition, has characterised bearers of the surname throughout history.

Typical given names associated with the Cleary surname

Male

• Christopher
• David
• James
• John
• Mark
• Michael
• Patrick
• Paul
• Peter
• Thomas

Female

• Anne
• Catherine
• Elizabeth
• Helen
• Joanne
• Karen
• Margaret
• Mary
• Patricia
• Sarah
• Susan

Similar and related surnames

Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.

How to communicate the surname Cleary in...

Braille

⠉⠇⠑⠁⠗⠽

Morse

-.-..-....-.-.-.--

Semaphore

Origin: Celtic

Region of origin: British Isles

Country of origin: Ireland

Religion of origin: Christian

Language of origin: Gaelic

Famous people named Cleary

• Jon Cleary - /American musician
• Bill Cleary - Football player (1931 to 1991)
• Joseph Cleary - Politician (1902 to 1993)
• Sean Cleary - Northern Irish football player
• Jim Cleary - Northern Irish football player

Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.

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