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

Clawson, 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 Clawson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Clawson in America

Clawson is the 3360th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Clawson surname appeared 10,631 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Clawson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Clawson 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 Clawson

The surname Clawson is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "clawu" meaning claw or talon, and "tun" meaning an enclosure or settlement. It is believed to have originated in the northern counties of England, particularly in Yorkshire and Lancashire, during the medieval period.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Clawson can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from the year 1297, where a certain William de Claweson is mentioned. This indicates that the name was already well-established in the region by the 13th century.

The name Clawson may have initially referred to a person who lived near a settlement known for its association with birds of prey or falconry. Alternatively, it could have been an occupational surname for someone who worked with claws or talons, such as a falconer or a tanner.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a village called "Clauueston" is listed in Nottinghamshire, which may have been an early spelling variation of the name Clawson. This suggests that the name may have also had some connection to a specific place or locality.

Notable individuals with the surname Clawson throughout history include:

1. John Clawson (c. 1600-1680), an English Puritan clergyman and author from Nottinghamshire.
2. Thomas Clawson (1679-1736), a British landowner and Member of Parliament for Peterborough.
3. Elizabeth Clawson (1758-1837), an American Quaker minister and abolitionist from Pennsylvania.
4. Sir Ralph Clawson (1826-1903), a British businessman and philanthropist who founded the Clawson Engineering Company.
5. Henry Clawson (1865-1947), an American politician who served as the 16th Governor of Utah.

While the surname Clawson has been present in various parts of England for centuries, it has also been carried by individuals who migrated to other parts of the world, including the United States and Canada, where it continues to be found today.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Clawson

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

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

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

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