Surname Cleve - Meaning and Origin
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Cleve: What does the surname Cleve mean?
The last name Cleve is thought to originate from a place name in England, likely a Parish in southern England located in the county of Somerset. The place name is derived from the Old English terms 'cleef' (cliff) and 'hoh' (spur of a hill), essentially meaning ‘cliff-spur'.
Cleve as a surname is quite unusual and thought to have been held by only a few people before the 15th century. It's likely that those that held this name were related to the location in England, either through it being their place of birth or adoption, an ancestral home, or a place with which they had close ties.
In the United States, the Cleve surname is seen most frequently in Tennessee and Virginia, indicating an immigration from the UK to the US that likely began mid to late 1800s. It is likely the Cleve family were amongst the new settlers seeking a more prosperous life across the ocean.
The Cleve family then began to move around and across the states in pursuit of work, eventually establishing their own businesses and settling wherever they found suitable work and a comfortable lifestyle. Cleve is now found in all 50 states in the US, indicating the Cleve families were mobile and determined in their pursuit of a better life.
Order DNA origin analysisCleve: Where does the name Cleve come from?
The last name Cleve is most commonly found in locations within the United States, but particularly in states along the East Coast. According to a 2017 Census, the most common occurrences of the last name Cleve can be found in New Jersey, Virginia, New York, Maryland and Massachusetts. In fact, the most populous area where Cleve can be found is the Greater New York City Metro Area.
Cleve originated from the Old English elements “cleof” and “cleofa”, and it is thought to be derived from the word “cleat”, meaning a cleft or a clough. The meaning of Cleve can be interpreted as “valley” or “ravine”, and this likely explains why the name is most popular in the United States’ coastal states.
In more recent years, the last name Cleve has been more notable for its origin as a Dutch-American name, many with Dutch ancestry having borne this surname before their initial arrivals in the United States. While some of these individuals settled in the coastal states listed before, others settled towns in the Midwest since the 19th century. This included areas in Michigan, Wisconsin and Iowa, among others.
Today, individuals from many parts of the country with the last name Cleve can be found throughout the United States. The Census Bureau has estimated that the total number of people with the last name Cleve in the United States is 3,324, suggesting that the commonality and traditional occurrence of this surname has waned as the years have passed.
Variations of the surname Cleve
The variants of the surname Cleve are Cliffe, Clive, Clyve, Cleaf, Cleaves and Cleave.
Cleve is a surname of Old English origins, where its original form was a 2-syllable variant of the name, Cleofa. It was a southern European name and one of the many versions of the name Cleophas, which appears in the Bible.
The modern spelling of Cleve originates from the Middle English period of abbreviating Clif to Cliv, or Cliv to Clev. The practice of doing this was fashionable in the 13th and 14th centuries.
The spelling of Clive is largely British and arose from Anglo-Saxon influences, as well as the phonetic similarity with Cleave.
Cliffe is a phonetic variant and is derived from the Middle English spelling of the name ‘Clyfe’ or ‘Clif’.
Clyve is found predominantly in the United States and was likely the result of a transcription error of the original spelling.
Cleaf and Cleave are two related variations more common in Scotland and Ireland, respectively. The pronunciation is similar although the spelling differs slightly.
For some families, Cleve is the preferred spelling, while for others, it is one of several variants. Likewise, some families prefer Clive, while others opt for alternate spellings. However, all of the variants share a common origin.
Famous people with the name Cleve
- Bill Cleve: American actor and director best known for his role as Crypt Keeper in the horror anthology series "Tales from the Crypt" from the 1990s.
- Shane Cleve: Australian professional rugby league footballer who currently plays for the Melbourne Storm in the NRL.
- Stephen Cleve: American actor and director of stage and screen, known for roles in the series "Quincy M.E." and "All That Glitters".
- Talitha Cleve: South African actress and producer best known for her roles in the films "Felix the Fury" and "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy".
- Wilhelmina Meredith Cleve: Award-winning opera singer who rose to fame during the late 18th century and was the first female at the Royal Swedish Academy of Music.
- Marjorie Ann Cleve: American three-time Olympian skater who represented the United States in the 1988 and 1992 Winter Olympics.
- Alan Cleve: Professional squash player who holds the record for most British Open squash titles, winning three times.
- Charles Cleve: Swedish psychologist and researcher best known for his work on children's intellectual development and performance.
- Jesper Cleve: Swedish former professional ice hockey player who played for the Swedish Hockey League from 1999 to 2009.
- Bo Cleve: Danish modern footballer who played in the Danish Super League for Hvidovre IF and Silkeborg IF.