Explore the Family Name Cleary
The meaning of Cleary
1. Irish (especially Tipperary): from Ó Cléirigh ‘descendant of Cléireach’, a name meaning ‘clerk’ or ‘cleric’. Ó Cléirigh is a famous learned family in Ireland. The less common surname McCleary, formed with the article, Mac an Chléirigh ‘son of the cleric’, is a variant. Both Irish names are also commonly Anglicized by translation as Clarke. 2. Scottish: variant of McCleary. Some characteristic forenames: Irish Brendan, Malachy, Aileen, Brigid, Ronan, Aine, Bridie, Egan, William Kevin.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Cleary in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, Cleary's surname popularity experienced a minor fluctuation between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Cleary ranked 2120th in popularity, but by 2010, it dropped slightly to 2280th, marking a -7.55% change in ranking. However, there was an increase in the actual count of people with this surname, as the figure rose from 15685 in 2000 to 15980 in 2010, a growth of 1.88%. The proportion of individuals named Cleary per 100k also saw a decrease of -6.71% over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,120 | #2,280 | -7.55% |
| Count | 15,685 | 15,980 | 1.88% |
| Proportion per 100k | 5.81 | 5.42 | -6.71% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Cleary
As for the ethnicity associated with the Cleary surname according to the Decennial U.S. Census, there have been some notable changes between 2000 and 2010. White remains the dominant ethnic identity, even though its percentage decreased from 94.54% to 92.38%. Meanwhile, Hispanic, Black, and those identifying with two or more races have seen substantial increases. The Hispanic population grew by 68.97%, while the Black population increased by 33.33%. Those identifying with two or more races went up by 25.24%. Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native ethnic identities also saw increases, albeit at a slower pace, with changes of 21.43% and 15.79% respectively.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 94.54% | 92.38% | -2.28% |
| Black | 2.37% | 3.16% | 33.33% |
| Hispanic | 1.45% | 2.45% | 68.97% |
| Two or More Races | 1.03% | 1.29% | 25.24% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.42% | 0.51% | 21.43% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.19% | 0.22% | 15.79% |
Cleary ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Cleary is British & Irish, which comprises 64.7% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (14.5%) and Italian (5.5%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 64.7% |
| French & German | 14.5% |
| Italian | 5.5% |
| Other | 15.3% |
Possible origins of the surname Cleary
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Cleary have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 90.00% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 90.00% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 89.80% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 89.80% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 89.60% |
What Cleary haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Cleary is R-L21, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-L21 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-Z18079, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Walsh, Connors, O'Connor, Obrien, Conner, Mcdonald, Hughes, O'Brien, Donahue, Lynch.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Cleary surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Cleary have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Cleary" Surname 48.9%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Cleary" Surname 25.2%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Cleary" Surname 17.2%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Cleary" Surname 21.3%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Cleary?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Cleary are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition