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

Clarence, 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 Clarence surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Clarence in America

Clarence is the 46314th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Clarence surname appeared 460 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 Clarence.

We can also compare 2010 data for Clarence 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 Clarence

The surname Clarence is an English surname derived from the French place name Clarentza, a former name for the town of Clarencia in the Peloponnese region of Greece. The name is believed to have originated during the Crusades, when English and French knights settled in the area.

The earliest known record of the surname Clarence dates back to the late 12th century, when it appeared in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire, England. In these records, a man named William de Clarencia was mentioned as a landowner.

One of the most notable historical figures with the surname Clarence was George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence, who lived from 1449 to 1478. He was the brother of King Edward IV of England and was executed for treason after being accused of plotting against his brother.

Another prominent individual with the surname Clarence was Sir John Clarence, an English soldier and statesman who lived from around 1370 to 1420. He served as the Governor of Aquitaine and played a significant role in the Hundred Years' War.

In the 16th century, a man named William Clarence was recorded as living in the village of Barrington, Gloucestershire. He was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of 1523, which were records of taxation.

The surname Clarence can also be traced back to the village of Clarendon, near Salisbury in Wiltshire, England. This place name is derived from the Old English words "clara" meaning "clear" and "dun" meaning "hill."

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname from this area was Roger de Clarendon, who was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Wiltshire in 1176. He was likely named after the village where he resided.

Other notable individuals with the surname Clarence throughout history include John Clarence, a 14th-century English knight who fought in the Battle of Crecy during the Hundred Years' War, and Richard Clarence, a 15th-century English clergyman who served as the Bishop of Salisbury from 1436 to 1450.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Clarence

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

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

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

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