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

Clayborn, 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 Clayborn surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Clayborn in America

Clayborn is the 10795th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Clayborn surname appeared 2,954 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Clayborn.

We can also compare 2010 data for Clayborn 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 Clayborn

The surname Clayborn is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "clæg" meaning clay and "burna" meaning a small stream or brook, indicating that the name likely referred to someone who lived near a stream running through a clay-rich area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Clayborn can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a landowner named Cleiburne in Derbyshire. This suggests that the name was already well-established in certain parts of England by the late 11th century.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the surname evolved into various spellings such as Clayborne, Claybourns, and Claybyrne, reflecting regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling practices of the time. These variations can be found in historical records and documents from various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Derbyshire, Staffordshire, and Warwickshire.

Notable individuals with the surname Clayborn include Sir William Clayborn (1540-1623), a prominent English landowner and Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another notable figure was John Clayborn (1655-1712), a Quaker preacher and author who wrote extensively on religious matters.

In the 17th century, the Clayborn family established themselves in the American colonies, with records showing that Robert Clayborn (1630-1687) was among the early settlers in Virginia. His descendants played a significant role in the development of the American South, with several members serving in the military and holding public offices.

Another notable figure was Major General John Clayborn (1770-1846), an American military officer who served in the War of 1812 and the Mexican-American War. He was also a prominent politician and served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates.

In the 19th century, the Clayborn surname continued to be well-represented in various fields, with individuals such as William Clayborn (1800-1875), a renowned physician and medical writer, and Mary Clayborn (1830-1910), a celebrated poet and educator.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Clayborn

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

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

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

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