2000
#14,813
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,837
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.68
Rare Last name
Clauss
A surname derived from the Latin "clausus" meaning closed or secluded.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,061 Americans carry the last name Clauss. That puts it at #15,648 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 166,305 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Clauss 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.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 166,305
Census rank
#15,648
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,797 bearers of the surname Clauss in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15648th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Clauss, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Clauss
The surname Clauss is of German origin, with its roots dating back to the Middle Ages. The name is derived from the nickname "Klaus," which itself is a shortened form of the name Nikolaus, or Nicholas in English. This nickname gained popularity in the 13th and 14th centuries, particularly in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony.
Clauss is a variation of the surname Claus, which is believed to have originated from the Low German or Middle Low German word "klous," meaning "scholar" or "learned person." It is likely that the surname was initially given to individuals who were associated with scholarly pursuits or had a reputation for being knowledgeable.
One of the earliest known references to the surname Clauss can be found in the Bürgermatrikel (Citizen Registry) of the city of Nuremberg, which dates back to the 15th century. This historical document records the names of citizens and their occupations, providing valuable insights into the origins and spread of various surnames.
In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the surname Clauss was Johann Clauss (c. 1520-1592), a German cartographer and engraver from Nuremberg. His work included the creation of detailed maps and illustrations, many of which were used in various publications of the time.
Another prominent individual was Andreas Clauss (1636-1706), a German Protestant theologian and philosopher. He served as a professor at the University of Tübingen and was known for his contributions to the field of ethics and moral philosophy.
During the 17th century, the surname Clauss was also associated with the Amish and Mennonite communities in Switzerland and parts of Germany. One such example is Jacob Clauss (c. 1660-1736), an Amish leader and minister who played a significant role in the early development of the Amish faith.
In the 19th century, Johann Gottfried Clauss (1820-1889) was a German-American businessman and philanthropist. He founded the successful J.G. Clauss Shear Company in Fremont, Ohio, which produced high-quality shears and scissors.
Throughout history, variations of the surname Clauss have been found in different regions, including Claus, Klauß, and Klausse. These variations often reflect local dialectal influences or spelling preferences, but they all share a common origin and meaning.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Clauss
Among Census respondents with the surname Clauss, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Clauss 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 Clauss surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.0% · 1,690
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 49
- Two or more races2.3% · 41
- Black or African American0.4% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Clauss
Clauss 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
#15,806
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,842
+5 bearers (+0.3%)
Per 100,000 0.62
Rank movement Down 993 places
2020
#15,648
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,797
-45 bearers (-2.4%)
Per 100,000 0.60
Rank movement Up 158 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,813 | 1,837 | 0.68 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,806 | 1,842 | 0.62 | +5 bearers (+0.3%) | Down 993 places |
| 2020 | #15,648 | 1,797 | 0.60 | -45 bearers (-2.4%) | Up 158 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 Clauss 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 | #15,806 | #15,648 | 1.0% |
| Count | 1,842 | 1,797 | -2.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.62 | 0.60 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Clauss bearers went from 1,842 to 1,797 (-2.4% change). The surname moved up 158 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,806 to #15,648.
FAQ
Clauss surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Clauss?
Name Census estimates that about 2,061 living Americans carry the surname Clauss. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 166,305 residents.
How common is Clauss?
Clauss ranks #15,648 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.60 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 1,797 people with the surname Clauss. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,061), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.60 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 Clauss.
Has Clauss become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Clauss went from 1,842 recorded bearers to 1,797. That is a decrease of 45 (-2.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,806 to #15,648.
What does the Census say about the background of Clauss?
Among Census respondents with the surname Clauss, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Clauss in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.0% (1,690 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Clauss appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.0%), Hispanic (2.7%), Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Clauss (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 Clauss mean?
A surname derived from the Latin "clausus" meaning closed or secluded. 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 Clauss (0.60 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 Clauss?
See how many people have the last name Clauss on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.