Cloke is a surname of English origin, historically situated within the British Isles. The earliest documentary evidence dates back to the late thirteenth century, during the reign of King Edward the First, when an individual recorded as Richard Clowe appeared in the Worcestershire Subsidy Rolls of 1275.

The etymology of the name can be approached from two distinct perspectives. One theory traces the surname to the Middle English word cloke, meaning a cloak or outer garment. In this context the name is believed to have functioned as an occupational appellation, designating a person who manufactured or sold cloaks. It may also have been applied as a nickname to an individual who habitually wore a cloak or possessed a cloak‑like appearance, thereby linking the surname to the clothing trade.

Alternatively, the surname is recognised as an Anglo‑Saxon variant, particularly within Devonshire, of the topographical name Clough. This form was used to describe a person who dwelt near a steep-sided valley, a ravine or a precipitous slope. The original Old English root, Cloh, predates the seventh century and conveys the notion of a steep valley. Historical variants of the name appear throughout England: for example, Roster Clough is recorded in Oxfordshire in 1279, John del Clogh in Yorkshire in 1298, and Richard Cluff in Staffordshire in 1428. In Devonshire, a number of bearers are documented, including Robert Cloake (1597), Mary Cloak (1685) and Thomas Clooke (1689).

The surname also exhibits a Scottish counterpart, Cleugh, and modern iterations such as Clough, Cluff, Clow, Clew, Clue, Clues and Clewes are observed. A notable matrimonial record exists for one Richard Cloke, who married Alicia Parre in Buckland Monachorum on 13 June 1551.

Cloke remains a surname firmly rooted in English heritage, reflecting both occupational and geographical associations within the historical fabric of the United Kingdom.

Typical given names associated with the Cloke surname

Male

  • Andrew
  • Christopher
  • David
  • John
  • Matthew
  • Michael
  • Paul
  • Peter
  • Richard
  • Stephen
  • Steven

Female

  • Amanda
  • Angela
  • Barbara
  • Elizabeth
  • Emily
  • Fiona
  • Jane
  • Janet
  • Julie
  • Linda
  • Louise
  • Margaret
  • Mary
  • 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 Cloke in...

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There are approximately 1,612 people named Cloke in the UK. That makes it roughly the 5,037th most common surname in Britain. Around 25 in a million people in Britain are named Cloke.

Surname type: Location or geographical feature

Origin: English

Region of origin: British Isles

Country of origin: England

Religion of origin: Christian

Language of origin: English

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