Alternative Theories

Since there are two main spellings of the name - Cluett in England and Clouet in France the earliest record for the name Cluett may have been a derivative of St.Cloud , a sixth century French bishop - this comes from a record of French surnames authored by A. Dauzat. Other spellings of Cluett have been listed as Cleutt, Clouet and Cleuet. (The Clewett variation of the name is found mainly in Somerset and probably arose through a difference in the dialect there from that found in Dorset and the other southern counties.)

If the family originated in France, the English connection could have happened in a number of ways, for example 

• Descendents of Bishop St. Cloud who arrived in Britain during the Norman invasion.
• French Catholics who migrated to the Channel Islands and from there to Britain. (There are records in 1793 showing Cluetts living in St. Pierre.)
• French Protestants (Huguenots) who were driven out of France during the French Revolution. 

Migration from England (or the Channel Islands) to Newfoundland in the period 1600 - 1800 was probably initially as fishermen. Later migrations, including to Canada and other parts of America  may have been by those in other occupations.

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Page last updated: 9 February 2024