Surname Clevis - Meaning and Origin

Clevis: What does the surname Clevis mean?

The last name Clevis is of English origin and is a habitational name derived from the Old English word “clif” which means cliff or a steep slope. The name is derived from a topographical feature and is believed to have been associated with people living near a cliff or a steep slope.

In the Middle Ages, English surnames based on geography or topographical features such as “clevis” were amongst the commonest. These surnames were coined in an effort to distinguish between different people with the same given name. Often the distinguishing feature was a physical characteristic, such as size or colour, or a feature of the landscape near an individual's residence or place of birth.

Today, Clevis is an uncommon surname and is mostly found in the United States and England. In the United States, most people with the surname Clevis live in the Mid-Atlantic and South-Eastern regions of the country. In England, most people with the Clevis surname live in Lancashire, Derbyshire and Yorkshire, where it is believed to have originated.

Interestingly, in some cases the surname Clevis has been changed to other similar sounding names such as Cliver and Clives. It is thought that some people have taken this step to avoid anti-Cuban discrimination, due to the fact that Clevis sounds like Cruz, a very common surname in Cuba.

Overall, it is clear that the last name Clevis of English origin is derived from topographical features, and has been used as a way of distinguishing individuals with the same given name.

Clevis: Where does the name Clevis come from?

Clevis is a surname most commonly found in North American countries today, particularly in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. It is a variant of the name Cleaves, which is of Northern English origin and can be traced back to families originally from the old English word 'cleave', which meant to 'cling or cling together'. In the United States, the last name Clevis is concentrated in the states of Arizona, California, Colorado, and Oregon, as well as the midwestern states of Illinois, Michigan, and Minnesota. According to the U.S. Census of 2000, it was ranked as the 4,923rd most common name in the nation with a total of 674 registered individuals bearing it.In Canada, Clevis ranks as the 8,079th most common name with 267 individuals sharing the name.The surname is also widely used in Mexico, ranking as the 3,495th most common name with 836 individuals sharing the name. However, it is not as popular in other countries from around the world.

Variations of the surname Clevis

The surname Clevis is of English origin and can be spelled in various ways. The most common forms of the surname spellings are Cleavis and Cleviss. The variations of the surname Clevis stem mostly from the English origin with an etymological root in the Old French clef, meaning a “key”.

Other surnames that have a shared root with Clevis are Cleaver, Kleeve and Kleviss. These surnames stem from the German word Kleve, which means “cliff” or “rock”. Similarly, the surname Clift is derived from this root.

Many Germans with the surname Clevis changed their name to Cleavage or Cleves when they emigrated to America. This change was often adopted to make the name easier to pronounce in the new language.

In some cases, people with the surname Clevis may be descended from a Huguenot family that migrated to England in the 17th century. The Huguenots were French Protestants and adopted surnames derived from a variety of sources, including placenames, personal characteristics and trades.

Finally, Cleve is also the surname of the champion of the French province of Burgundy in the 16th century, which could also have contributed to the number of surname variations.

Famous people with the name Clevis

• Martijn Clevis: Dutch television personality
• Darren Clevis: American actor
• Tessa Clevis: Canadian actress
• John Clevis: American NFL coach
• Michael Clevis: Albanian ice dancer
• John Clevis: American astronomer
• An Clevis: Dutch sport shooter
• Adrie Clevis: Dutch illustrator
• Sam Clevis: British entrepreneur
• Rosa Clevis: American musician

Other surnames

Clevinger