Find out how popular the last name Claiborne is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Claiborne.

Claiborne, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Claiborne surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Claiborne in America

Claiborne is the 6523rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Claiborne surname appeared 5,201 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Claiborne.

We can also compare 2010 data for Claiborne to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Claiborne

The surname Claiborne originated in England, where it was first recorded in the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "clær" meaning "bright" and "burna" meaning "stream," referring to a bright or clear stream. The name was likely given to someone who lived near such a stream.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1198, where it is spelled "Clareburn." The Pipe Rolls were a record of financial accounts kept by the English Crown. Over time, the name evolved to its modern spelling of Claiborne.

In the 13th century, the name Claiborne appeared in various medieval records and manuscripts, such as the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which recorded landowners in England. These early records suggest that the Claiborne family was well-established in various parts of the country, particularly in the counties of Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, and Somerset.

The earliest known person with the surname Claiborne was Sir Richard Claiborne, born around 1265 in Westbury, Wiltshire. He was a knight and landowner who served under King Edward I in the wars against Scotland and France. Another notable early bearer of the name was William Claiborne, born in 1587 in Westmoreland County, Virginia. He was a prominent colonial leader and Secretary of State for the Virginia Colony.

Other historical figures with the surname Claiborne include:

1. John Claiborne (1609-1677), an English immigrant to Virginia and a member of the House of Burgesses.
2. Thomas Claiborne (1647-1683), an English-born colonist in Virginia and a member of the Governor's Council.
3. William C. C. Claiborne (1775-1817), a prominent American statesman and the first governor of Louisiana after the Louisiana Purchase.
4. John F. H. Claiborne (1809-1892), a U.S. Congressman from Mississippi and a Confederate officer during the American Civil War.
5. Nathaniel Herbert Claiborne (1777-1859), a Virginia-born lawyer and politician who served as a U.S. Congressman and Senator.

Over the centuries, the Claiborne surname has also been associated with various place names, such as Claiborne County in Mississippi and Claiborne Parish in Louisiana, both named after William C. C. Claiborne.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Claiborne

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Claiborne.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Claiborne was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Claiborne has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Claiborne was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Claiborne, please contact us.

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