Cleveland Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Cleveland last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Cleveland last name
Meaning of the Cleveland last name: hilly land. Cleveland is an English surname from the district of Cleveland in North Yorkshire, from Old English clif, "steep slope", and land, so hilly country. The last name crossed early to New England. A curious detail of this surname origin: Cleveland, Ohio, is named after the surveyor Moses Cleaveland, and the city later dropped the a.
Arms associated with the Cleveland name
In English heraldry, coats of arms associated with the Cleveland name are described in a blazon, a short formal text.
Get your full Cleveland family history
This is only a glimpse of the Cleveland story. The full Cleveland history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Cleveland coat of arms. Get the full Cleveland report.
Cleveland name FAQ
What does the Cleveland name mean?
Hilly land. Common variants include Cleaveland.
Where does the Cleveland surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Australia and Canada.
Is there a Cleveland coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Cleveland coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).