Cleave

Cleave Meaning & Origin

About Cleave
The surname Cleave is of English origin and has two distinct meanings. Firstly, it can be derived from the Old English word "cleofan," meaning "to split or divide," and was likely used as an occupational name for someone who worked as a woodcutter or a carpenter. Secondly, it can also be derived from the Old English word "cleofian," meaning "to adhere or cling," and may have been used as a nickname for someone who was steadfast or loyal. Thus, the surname Cleave can signify either a woodcutter or someone who is loyal and steadfast.

🌍 Origin
📏 Surname Length
💬 Number of Syllables
🔠 Starting Letter

Popularity

Surname Popularity by Ethnicity

The surname Cleave is a unique entry in our records. Discover more about its distribution and characteristics:

  • Number of People with the name Cleave: 195
  • Overall Popularity: Less than 0.01% (a rare surname)
  • Ranking: 93921
  • Frequency per 100k people: 0.07

Below is the ethnic distribution of the surname Cleave based on recent US Census records. This is a brief glimpse into the diverse backgrounds of people carrying this surname.

Ranking information for the surname Cleave is not currently available.

Pronunciation

📇 Metaphone
KLF
🗽 NYSIIS
CA
🔊 Soundex
C4010
🎵 Syllabic Pronunciation
K L IY1 V
🌐 IPA
/kliv/
🔊 Double Metaphone
('KLF', '')
🈯 Cross-Lingual Phonetic
C410

Accessibility & Communication

How to write the name Cleave in Braille

Here's how to represent Cleave in Braille, each pattern of raised dots corresponds to a letter in the name.

The name Cleave in braille

How to sign the name Cleave using Sign Language

The image below shows how you can spell Cleave using American Sign Language (ASL). In sign language, each hand shape corresponds to a specific a letter of the name.

The name Cleave in sign language

Numerology