Cleary
Ireland · Boy · 2 syllables
Popularity & facts
Relative popularity index, 2010–2025Popularity over time
Popularity indexHistorical popularity from 1880–2025 · US Social Security Administration data
About the name Cleary
The given name 'Cleary' is an anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic surname *Ó Cléirigh*, meaning "descendant of the cleric" or "clerk," derived from *cléireach* (cleric/scribe).
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Etymology
The given name 'Cleary' is an anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic surname *Ó Cléirigh*, meaning "descendant of the cleric" or "clerk," derived from *cléireach* (cleric/scribe). It is primarily used in Irish and Irish-American cultures, with historical prominence tied to the 17th-century Annals of the Four Masters, compiled by the learned Ó Cléirigh family.
Cleary currently ranks #4,313 in the United States as a boy's name. It reached its peak popularity around 1917.
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Sibling name ideas
Irish names that sit beautifully beside ClearySimilar names you might like
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Names that sound like Cleary
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