The table below shows the number of mccleary households in each county in the Primary Valuation property survey of 1848-64 in Ireland.
County names and breakdown:.
Antrim 27 Armagh 9
Belfast city 12 Cavan 15
Derry 14 Donegal 12
Down 5 Dublin 1
Fermanagh 1 Mayo 2
Meath 1 Monaghan 12
Sligo 1 Tyrone 9
SURNAME DICTIONARY/ SLOINNTE NA h-EIREANN
Cleary: Very numerous: all areas, especially Wexford, Waterford,Tipperary, Limerick etc. Ir. Ó Cléirigh. Originally of Galway, the sept was dispersed in 13 cent and some settled in Donegal where they enjoyed fame as scholars. Name is often anglicised Clarke, q.v.
MacCleary: Quite numerous: Belfast-Down etc. Ir. Mac Giolla Arraith. See Mac Alary. This name may be Mac an Chléirigh, cléireach, a clerk, in S Ulster.
MacCleery: fairly numerous: Down-Antrim etc. Variant of Mac Cleary, q.v.
Variants and all-Ireland totals:
SURNAME TOTAL
Clarey 5
Clary 11
Cleary 1390
Cleery 4
Clery 7
McClary 6
McCleary 121
McCleery 47
McClery 6
McLeary 2
Also: M’Cleary
Scots variants:
M’Clerie
MacLery
McCleary
Mc Leary
Mc Lory
McLaurie
McChlery
USA variants:
McClerry