The McCleary surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 6,554 people carried this name — #5,317 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 45,000 people counted. That is up 3% from 6,373 in 2000.

Look up another surname

Share

What the name means

The meaning of the McCleary surname

Anglicized form of Irish Mac an Chléirigh (“son of the cleric”), from cléireach (“clerk, cleric”).

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «McCleary» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

In Scotland’s registers today

McCleary was recorded 13 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 1564th most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 19. Each birth counts the child’s surname, each marriage both partners’ and each death the surname of the person who died — a yearly count of registrations, not of the people who live in Scotland.

National Records of Scotland, «Most Common Surnames, 2025» (published 26 May 2026): every surname recorded 10 or more times in the 2025 registers, and the series from 1975 · different spellings are counted separately — © Crown copyright 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

63 families named McCleary, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 328 people lived in those households, 5.3 to a family on average. The census counted these spellings together: McCleary, McClarey, McClary, McLarry, McLary, MaClayry, McClearey, McCleery, McClery, McLeary, Mcliry. 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

Pennsylvania 27
New Hampshire 9
Maryland 6
Massachusetts 5
North Carolina 5
New York 4
South Carolina 4
Maine 2
Virginia 1

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. 252 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

McCleary in American newspapers,
1877–1912.

Newspaper page from River Falls Journal carrying the name McCleary
River Falls Journal 1877-11-08
Newspaper page from Aberdeen Herald carrying the name McCleary
Aberdeen Herald 1911-11-30
Newspaper page from Aberdeen Herald carrying the name McCleary
Aberdeen Herald 1912-02-12

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 32,068 pages in all carry the name.

In print

McCleary in Australian newspapers,
1840s–2000s.

1,812 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss McCleary. The most, 462, date from the 1930s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Victoria, at 1.8 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 827
Victoria 550
Queensland 223
Western Australia 109
Tasmania 42
South Australia 38
ACT (Canberra) 15
Northern Territory 6

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

Who carried it

People named McCleary,
with a public archive behind them.

  • James McCleary
    James McCleary 1853–1924 · politician
  • William McCleary
    William McCleary 1853–1917 · timber merchant
  • Brian Verdon McCleary
    Brian Verdon McCleary 1897–1978 · rugby union player
  • Urie McCleary 1905–1980 · production designer
  • Winslow McCleary 1886–1973 · coxswain
  • Ernie McCleary 1923–2012 · association football player

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0.

In the public record

People named McCleary,
in the records of 6 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 States719 records

719 records of the McCleary name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 213
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 183
  • Other U.S. records 323
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Minor A. McCleary

    Born 1906 in Florida. Enlisted 1942 at Fort Jay Governors Island, New York; porter. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1984, buried at Calverton National Cemetery, New York.

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

    Arrived at New York in 1855 aboard the Emerald Isle from Liverpool, aged 16; servant. From Ireland.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. A U.S. Army record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864
    Example: U.S. burial record, 1864
    Burial record Marion M. McCleary

    U.S. Army veteran. Born 1931, died 1961; buried at Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery, Kansas.

    U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)

Showing 3 of 719 records for McCleary in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864, U.S. National Archives (public domain).

Australia119 records

119 records of the McCleary name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 54
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 47
  • Other Australian records 18
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Margt McCleary

    Arrived in Victoria in 1856 aboard the Ocean Monarch, aged 13; Irish.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Stewart McCleary

    Farmer of Congupna, Victoria; died 1902.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. The first page of an emigration file from Gündlingen, Baden, 1883
    Example: German emigration file, 1883
    Emigration record George McCleary

    Left Launceston in 1851 aboard the Agostina, bound for London, as a seaman.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 119 records for McCleary in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Emigration file, Gündlingen, 1883, Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, Staatsarchiv Freiburg B 694/1 Nr. 1389 (CC BY 4.0).

Canada28 records

28 records of the McCleary name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 14
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 4
  • Other Canadian records 10
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Thos McCleary

    Came to Ontario in 1880 aboard the Sardinian, landing at Halifax, bound for Cooksville, Ontario; Irish.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Elsie McCleary

    Died 1988; buried at Brookside Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Mary B. McCleary

    Died 1911 in River Hebert, Cumberland, Nova Scotia.

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

Showing 3 of 28 records for McCleary 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 Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

New Zealand22 records

22 records of the McCleary name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 15
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 7
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record William McCleary

    Buried in 1870 at Shortland Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 36.

    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 William Malcolm McCleary

    Died 1929, aged 46; 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 Peter Trevor McCleary

    Buried in 1981 at Totara Memorial Park Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 73.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 22 records for McCleary 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 Kingdom4 records

4 records of the McCleary name in the United Kingdom War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record J. McCleary

    Royal Irish Fusiliers. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record R. McCleary

    Royal West Kent Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record D. McCleary

    Ik Corps. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

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

Showing 3 of 4 records for McCleary in the United Kingdom.

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

Netherlands1 record

1 record of the McCleary name in the Netherlands Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths)
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Kenneth McCleary

    Died 1953 in Openbaar Lichaam De Noordoostelijke Polder, aged 30.

    Open Archives, Het Flevolands Archief (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to McCleary.

When the index is not enough

This page says where McCleary is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the McCleary volume
Scroll to Top