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

Clar, 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 Clar surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Clar in America

Clar is the 62531st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Clar surname appeared 320 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Clar.

We can also compare 2010 data for Clar 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 Clar

The surname Clar originated in England during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word 'claere,' meaning 'clear' or 'bright.' This suggests that the name may have been given to someone with a bright complexion or someone who lived near a clear stream or river.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Clar surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'Clarus.' This Latin form of the name further supports the theory that it originated from the Old English word 'claere.'

In the 13th century, the name was often spelled 'Clere' or 'Clere.' During this time, it was common for people to adopt surnames derived from the names of the towns or villages they lived in. As such, the Clar surname may have originated from a place name like Clere in Hampshire or Clere in Suffolk.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Clar surname was Robert de Clere, who lived in Norfolk, England, in the early 13th century. Another notable figure was Sir Thomas Clar, a member of the English gentry born in 1480 in Worcestershire.

In the 16th century, the name began to be spelled more consistently as 'Clar' or 'Clair.' During this period, Sir John Clar (1516-1568) was a prominent English politician who served as a Member of Parliament and held the position of Lord Deputy of Ireland.

As the surname spread across England, it also appeared in various spellings, such as 'Clare,' 'Clere,' and 'Clere.' One notable bearer of this variant spelling was John Clere (1625-1688), an English legal writer and Member of Parliament.

In the 18th century, the Clar surname gained further prominence with individuals like Richard Clar (1728-1786), a British politician and lawyer who served as Solicitor General for England and Wales.

Other notable figures throughout history with the Clar surname include William Clar (1733-1800), a British naval officer who served in the American Revolutionary War, and Sir Ralph Clar (1782-1852), a British diplomat and politician who served as Governor of Bombay from 1830 to 1835.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Clar

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

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 Clar 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 Clar 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 Clar was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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