Show ContentsClaver History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Claver is part of the ancient legacy of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name was taken on by someone who worked as a person who worked with wood. The surname is derived from the Old English word cleofan which means to cleave or split. [1] [2] The variant Clevenger was derived from the occupation "as one who cleaves wood."

Two sources postulate that the name could also have originated from "a dweller on a cleave or cliff." [3] [1]

Early Origins of the Claver family

The surname Claver was first found in Norfolk where Simon le Claver, was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. [4] Later, Agnes le Claver and John le Claver were both listed in Norfolk in 1333 [5] In London, the source Rotuli Litterarum Clausarum in Turri Londinesi lists Henry le Claver and John le Clavier.

In Sussex, Richard and John le Cleuar were listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1332. [1]

Early History of the Claver family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Claver research. Another 162 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1332, 1379, 1742, 1746, 1784, 1785, 1787, 1790, 1800, 1806, 1815 and 1819 are included under the topic Early Claver History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Claver Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Claver include Cleever, Cleaver, Clever, Kleever, Kleaver, Cleevar, Cleavar, Cliver, Cleiver, Clivar, Cleevor, Clearvor, Cleevare, Clevenger, Kleevare, Cleavare, Kleavare and many more.

Early Notables of the Claver family

Notables of this surname at this time include: William Cleaver (1742-1815), Bishop of St. Asaph, the eldest son of the Rev. W. Cleaver, master of a private school at Twyford in Buckinghamshire, and was the elder brother of Archbishop Cleaver. Cleaver became tutor to the Marquis of Buckingham. He was successively made vicar of Northop in Flintshire, prebendary of Westminster (1784)...
Another 61 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Claver Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Claver migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Claver Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Thomas Claver, who arrived in Maryland in 1663 [6]
Claver Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • William Claver, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1771 [6]

Contemporary Notables of the name Claver (post 1700) +

  • Tim Claver, American underwater photographer
  • Bob Claver, Director
  • Peter Claver Cullen (b. 1941), Canadian voice actor


  1. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  2. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  3. Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
  4. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  5. Rye, Walter, A History of Norfolk. London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, 1885. Print
  6. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)


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