Explore the Family Name Cleaver
The meaning of Cleaver
1. English (South Midlands and Oxfordshire): from Middle English clevere ‘one who cleaves’ (a derivative of Old English clēofan ‘to split’), hence an occupational name for someone who split wood into planks using a wedge rather than a saw, or possibly for a butcher. Alternatively, on occasion possibly a topographic name from Middle English cleve ‘bank, slope’ (from the dative of Old English clif) + the suffix -er, denoting an inhabitant. 2. Americanized form of German and Dutch Klever, and perhaps also of German Kliewer.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Cleaver in the United States?
Based on the data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Cleaver has slightly decreased in the past decade. In 2000, it ranked 6,915th most common surname in the United States, but by 2010 its rank slipped to 7,387, reflecting a drop of 6.83%. Despite this fall in ranking, the actual count of individuals with this surname increased marginally from 4,476 to 4,509 between 2000 and 2010, a growth of 0.74%. However, the proportion of people bearing this surname per 100,000 of the population fell by 7.83% over the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,915 | #7,387 | -6.83% |
| Count | 4,476 | 4,509 | 0.74% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.66 | 1.53 | -7.83% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Cleaver
Analyzing the ethnic identity associated with the surname Cleaver, data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows some shifts between 2000 and 2010. A significant majority of individuals with the Cleaver surname identify as White, although this percentage decreased from 86.77% in 2000 to 84.28% in 2010. The largest growth was seen among those identifying as Hispanic, with an increase of 63.85%, followed by American Indian and Alaskan Native, which saw a rise of 51.06%. The Black community also saw an increase of 10.42%. Meanwhile, the number of people who identify as Asian/Pacific Islander slightly decreased by 4.48%. The group that identifies with two or more races also grew, showing an increase of 34.62% over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 86.77% | 84.28% | -2.87% |
| Black | 9.5% | 10.49% | 10.42% |
| Hispanic | 1.3% | 2.13% | 63.85% |
| Two or More Races | 1.3% | 1.75% | 34.62% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.47% | 0.71% | 51.06% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.67% | 0.64% | -4.48% |
Cleaver 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 Cleaver is British & Irish, which comprises 55.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (25.9%) and Eastern European (4.1%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Scandinavian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Spanish & Portuguese, and Greek & Balkan.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 55.2% |
| French & German | 25.9% |
| Eastern European | 4.1% |
| Other | 14.8% |
Possible origins of the surname Cleaver
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 Cleaver have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 91.90% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 91.90% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 91.90% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 91.90% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 91.90% |
What Cleaver 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 Cleaver is J-M92, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup J-M92 is descended from haplogroup J-M304. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and I-S8522, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Irons, Painter, Carlin, Newland, Bricker, Gearhart, Michel, Scherer, Mcclain, Caputo.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Cleaver surname are: H1, N, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins J-M304Your 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 Cleaver 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.
"Cleaver" Surname 45.8%
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.
"Cleaver" Surname 24.4%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Cleaver" Surname 19.4%
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.
"Cleaver" Surname 16.3%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Cleaver?
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 Cleaver are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition