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Cleve Family History

Cleve Surname Meaning

English: variant of Cliff. German: variant of Kleve.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Cleve family from?

You can see how Cleve families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Cleve family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Cleve families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 9 Cleve families living in Devon. This was about 9% of all the recorded Cleve's in United Kingdom. Devon and 3 other counties had the highest population of Cleve families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Cleve surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Cleve ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Cleve. 64% of Cleve women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Cleve | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    64%
  • Independent
    19%
  • Unpaid Domestic Dut
    19%

What Cleve family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 11,000 census records available for the last name Cleve. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Cleve census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Cleve

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Cleve. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Cleve immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 10,000 military records available for the last name Cleve. For the veterans among your Cleve ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Cleve military records

You've only scratched the surface of Cleve family history

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What is the average Cleve lifespan?

Between 1957 and 2004, in the United States, Cleve life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1962, and highest in 1979. The average life expectancy for Cleve in 1957 was 51, and 82 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Cleve

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Cleve ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Cleve family tree

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