The Cleveland surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 31,123 people carried this name — #1,127 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 9,480 people counted. That is up 3% from 30,233 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Cleveland surname

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘of Cleveland’.

An early record he cites: Johannes de Clyveland, 1379 — Poll Tax, West Riding of Yorkshire.

His entry covers Cleveland and Cleaveland.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 186 · public domain.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

149 families named Cleveland, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 859 people lived in those households, 5.8 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 5 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Massachusetts 45
Connecticut 32
New York 31
Vermont 16
New Hampshire 8
Virginia 6
Maine 4
South Carolina 3
Rhode Island 2
North Carolina 2

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 234 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Cleveland in American newspapers,
1892–1908.

Newspaper page from New Hampshire Farmer And Weekly Union carrying the name Cleveland
New Hampshire Farmer And Weekly Union 1908-07-01
Newspaper page from The Billings Gazette carrying the name Cleveland
The Billings Gazette 1908-06-26
Newspaper page from The Portland Daily Press carrying the name Cleveland
The Portland Daily Press 1892-05-10

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 174,003 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Cleveland in Australian newspapers,
1820s–1990s.

39,293 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Cleveland. The most, 9,941, date from the 1890s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Victoria, at 1.9 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Victoria 19,008
New South Wales 7,343
Queensland 4,682
South Australia 3,600
Tasmania 2,414
Western Australia 2,142
ACT (Canberra) 59
Northern Territory 13

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Cleveland.

Who carried it

People named Cleveland,
with a public archive behind them.

  • John Cleveland
    John Cleveland 1613–1658 · writer
  • Sandra Barkdull Cleveland d. 2014 · mathematician
  • Richard Albert Cleveland d. 2012 · mathematician
  • Moses Cleveland d. 1701
  • Alice Adelaide Cleveland d. 1942
  • John Cleveland d. 1763

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Cleveland,
in the records of 7 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States2,292 records

2,292 records of the Cleveland name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 1,011
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 444
  • Other U.S. records 837
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record James Cleveland

    Born 1943; from Los Angeles, California. U.S. Army, indirect fire infantryman; killed in action 1967 in Binh Dinh, South Vietnam. Buried at Los Angeles National Cemetery, California.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Rudolph Cleveland

    Born 1919 in Texas. Enlisted 1944 at San Francisco, California; auto mechanic. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1989, buried at Golden Gate National Cemetery, California.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Mary Cleveland

    Arrived at New York in 1880 aboard the Anchoria from Glasgow, aged 35; housekeeper. From Ireland.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 2,292 records for Cleveland in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · New York State, Open NY (police and firefighter memorial rolls). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada920 records

920 records of the Cleveland name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 855
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 19
  • Other Canadian records 46
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record George Cecil Cleveland

    Killed in the Halifax Explosion of 1917, aged 47; buried at Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, NS/St John's.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Percy Roy Cleveland

    Died in service in 1918.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Abigal Cleveland

    Died 1929 in Amherst, Cumberland, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 920 records for Cleveland in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Australia301 records

301 records of the Cleveland name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 190
  • Tasmanian Names Index 45
  • Other Australian records 66
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record William Cleveland

    Died 1879 in Launceston, Tasmania, aged 68. Will registered in Tasmania in 1879.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record May Cleveland

    Arrived in Victoria in 1854 aboard the Titan, aged 29; British subject.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Eliza Cleveland

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Angelina, sailing from Woolwich in 1844. Native of Islington, Middlesex.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 301 records for Cleveland in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain).

Norway14 records

14 records of the Cleveland name in Norway Norway's 1910 census
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Johan Cleveland

    Census of 1910: Skoleveien, Bergen; joiner, born 1880 in Bergen.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Idun Elisabet Cleveland

    Census of 1910: Munkedamsveien, Kristiania; born 1874 in Gleminge.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)
  3. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Asbjørn Cleveland

    Census of 1910: Gyldenpris, Askøen; born 1908 in Askøen.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)

Showing 3 of 14 records for Cleveland in Norway.

Counts: Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

France9 records

9 records of the Cleveland name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Alphonse Pierre Cleveland

    Born 1907 in Angoulême; died 1975 in Saint-Michel (Charente).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Marius Andre Cleveland

    Born 1913 in Châtel-Moron; died 1997 in Le Creusot (Saône-et-Loire).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  3. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Andre Jean Rene Cleveland

    Born 1934 in Autun; died 1999 in Saint-Léger-sur-Dheune (Saône-et-Loire).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 3 of 9 records for Cleveland in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

New Zealand6 records

6 records of the Cleveland name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 3
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 3
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Sarah Jane Cleveland

    Buried in 1909 at Shortland Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 78.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Edward Cleveland

    Died 1941, aged 68; buried at Linwood Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Bertha Cleveland

    Died 1961, aged 81; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 6 records for Cleveland in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

United Kingdom2 records

2 records of the Cleveland name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 1
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 1
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record R. H. Cleveland

    Lance Corporal, Manchester Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 1 of 2 records for Cleveland in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Cleveland.

When the index is not enough

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