2000
#7,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,189
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.55
Rare Last name
Clare
An English and Irish surname derived from the Latin "clarus," meaning "clear," "bright," or "famous."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,710 Americans carry the last name Clare. That puts it at #7,759 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.37 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 72,772 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Clare surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Clare with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.7K
1 in 72,772
Census rank
#7,759
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,107 bearers of the surname Clare in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.37 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7759th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Clare, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.1%. The next largest groups are Black (9.5%) and Hispanic (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Clare
The surname Clare originates from the town of Clare in Suffolk, England, which dates back to the 11th century. The name is derived from the Latin word "clarus," meaning "clear" or "bright," referring to the clear stream that flowed through the town.
The earliest recorded mention of the surname Clare can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which lists several landowners with the name in Suffolk and Essex. One notable entry is that of Richard de Clare, who held lands in Suffolk and Essex.
In the 12th century, the powerful de Clare family played a significant role in English history. Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke (1130-1176), was a prominent military leader during the reign of King Henry II. His son, Gilbert de Clare, 4th Earl of Hertford (1180-1230), was one of the leading barons who forced King John to sign the Magna Carta in 1215.
Another notable bearer of the surname was John Clare (1793-1864), an English poet known for his vivid descriptions of rural life and nature. His poems, such as "The Village Minstrel" and "The Shepherd's Calendar," capture the essence of the English countryside.
In Ireland, the name Clare is sometimes associated with the county of Clare, which takes its name from the medieval de Clare family who held lands in the region. The Irish variant of the name is often spelled as O'Clare or Cleirigh.
Other famous individuals with the surname Clare include:
1. Sir Ralph de Clare (c. 1285-1314), an English nobleman who fought in the Scottish Wars of Independence.
2. Elizabeth de Clare (1292-1360), an English noblewoman and the wife of Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March.
3. Richard de Clare (c. 1130-1176), 2nd Earl of Pembroke, a prominent figure in the Anarchy period in English history.
4. Patrick Clare (1918-1994), an Irish actor best known for his roles in films like "The Quiet Man" and "The Sundowners."
5. Ada Clare (1834-1874), an English author and poet who wrote under the pseudonym "A.L.O.E."
The surname Clare has a rich history spanning centuries, with its roots firmly planted in the medieval period of England and its connections to influential families and notable individuals throughout the ages.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Clare
Among Census respondents with the surname Clare, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.1%. The next largest groups are Black (9.5%) and Hispanic (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Clare bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Clare surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.1% · 3,288
- Black or African American9.5% · 392
- Hispanic or Latino4.9% · 201
- Two or more races3.8% · 155
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.4% · 58
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Clare
Clare appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#7,702
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,309
+120 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 1.46
Rank movement Down 374 places
2020
#7,759
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,107
-202 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 1.37
Rank movement Down 57 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,328 | 4,189 | 1.55 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,702 | 4,309 | 1.46 | +120 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 374 places |
| 2020 | #7,759 | 4,107 | 1.37 | -202 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 57 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Clare surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #7,702 | #7,759 | -0.7% |
| Count | 4,309 | 4,107 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.46 | 1.37 | -5.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Clare bearers went from 4,309 to 4,107 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 57 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,702 to #7,759.
FAQ
Clare surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Clare?
Name Census estimates that about 4,710 living Americans carry the surname Clare. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 72,772 residents.
How common is Clare?
Clare ranks #7,759 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.37 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,107 people with the surname Clare. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,710), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.37 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.37 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Clare.
Has Clare become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Clare went from 4,309 recorded bearers to 4,107. That is a decrease of 202 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,702 to #7,759.
What does the Census say about the background of Clare?
Among Census respondents with the surname Clare, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.1%. The next largest groups are Black (9.5%) and Hispanic (4.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Clare in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.1% (3,288 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Clare appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.1%), Black (9.5%), Hispanic (4.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Clare (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Clare mean?
An English and Irish surname derived from the Latin "clarus," meaning "clear," "bright," or "famous." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Clare (1.37 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Clare?
See how many people have the surname Clare on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.