Clery Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Clery last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Clery coat of arms for you.
Meaning and origin of the Clery last name
Meaning of the Clery last name: a grandson of Cleireach (cleric or clerk). Smith's 1956 dictionary treats Clery as a form of the Irish surname Cleary. He explains the name as a grandson of Cleireach (cleric or clerk). Around 3,199 people carry the Clery name today, with many in France, Ireland and the United States.
Arms associated with the Clery name
Sharing a surname establishes no coat of arms entitlement; heraldry follows documented individual lineages.
Smith lists Clery as a variant of Cleary.
Get your full Clery family history
This is only a glimpse of the Clery story. The full Clery 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 Clery coat of arms. Get the full Clery report.
Clery name FAQ
What does the Clery name mean?
A grandson of Cleireach (cleric or clerk). Common variants include Cleary.
Where does the Clery surname come from?
It originates in Ireland, and is also found in France and the United States.
Is there a Clery coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Clery coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Elsdon C. Smith, Dictionary of American Family Names (1956), individual surname entries; modern indexed dictionary entries supersede conflicting interpretations.; Forebears, Surnam.es and individual surname distribution references.