2000
#21,335
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,144
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.42
Rare Last name
Claybrook
A topographic surname suggesting someone who lived by a brook flowing through clay soil.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,343 Americans carry the last name Claybrook. That puts it at #22,518 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.39 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 255,215 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Claybrook 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 Claybrook with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.3K
1 in 255,215
Census rank
#22,518
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,171 bearers of the surname Claybrook in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.39 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 22518th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Claybrook, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.3%. The next largest groups are Black (22.1%) and Two or More Races (5.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Claybrook
The surname Claybrook originated in England during the late medieval period, likely between the 13th and 15th centuries. It is derived from the Old English words "clæg" meaning clay, and "broc" meaning brook or stream, suggesting that the name referred to a person who lived near a clay-lined brook or stream.
One of the earliest known records of the name Claybrook can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire, dating back to 1327. It appears as "Johannes de Claybrok," indicating that the name was already in use by that time. There are also references to the name in the Feet of Fines records for Warwickshire in the late 14th century.
The Claybrook surname may have originated from a place name, as many surnames did during that era. There are several villages and hamlets in England with similar names, such as Claybrook in Nottinghamshire and Claybrooke in Leicestershire, which could have contributed to the development of the surname.
One notable figure bearing the name Claybrook was John Claybrooke (c. 1480-1537), an English clergyman and canon of Windsor. He served as the Secretary to Cardinal Thomas Wolsey and was later appointed as the President of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, in 1537.
Another historically significant individual with the Claybrook surname was Edward Claybrook (1645-1715), an English merchant and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Southwark in the late 17th century. He was involved in the East India trade and held various positions within the East India Company.
In the 18th century, John Claybrook (1720-1787) was a prominent landowner and farmer in Gloucestershire, England. He is mentioned in several records related to land transactions and agricultural activities during that period.
Francis Claybrook (1822-1890) was a notable English architect and surveyor who worked on various projects in London and the surrounding areas. He was responsible for designing several churches, schools, and residential buildings in the Victorian era.
Elizabeth Claybrook (1877-1955) was a British artist and painter known for her landscape and portrait works. She exhibited her paintings at various galleries in London and was a member of the Royal Society of British Artists.
While the Claybrook surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through immigration and migration. However, the historical records and references mentioned above provide insight into the origins and early use of this surname in its country of origin.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Claybrook
Among Census respondents with the surname Claybrook, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.3%. The next largest groups are Black (22.1%) and Two or More Races (5.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Claybrook 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 Claybrook surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White67.3% · 788
- Black or African American22.1% · 259
- Two or more races5.4% · 63
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 40
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 13
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Claybrook
Claybrook 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
#21,895
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,186
+42 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.40
Rank movement Down 560 places
2020
#22,518
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,171
-15 bearers (-1.3%)
Per 100,000 0.39
Rank movement Down 623 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #21,335 | 1,144 | 0.42 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #21,895 | 1,186 | 0.40 | +42 bearers (+3.7%) | Down 560 places |
| 2020 | #22,518 | 1,171 | 0.39 | -15 bearers (-1.3%) | Down 623 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 Claybrook 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 | #21,895 | #22,518 | -2.8% |
| Count | 1,186 | 1,171 | -1.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.40 | 0.39 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Claybrook bearers went from 1,186 to 1,171 (-1.3% change). The surname moved down 623 positions in the national ranking, going from #21,895 to #22,518.
FAQ
Claybrook surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Claybrook?
Name Census estimates that about 1,343 living Americans carry the surname Claybrook. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 255,215 residents.
How common is Claybrook?
Claybrook ranks #22,518 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.39 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,171 people with the surname Claybrook. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,343), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.39 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.39 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Claybrook.
Has Claybrook become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Claybrook went from 1,186 recorded bearers to 1,171. That is a decrease of 15 (-1.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #21,895 to #22,518.
What does the Census say about the background of Claybrook?
Among Census respondents with the surname Claybrook, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.3%. The next largest groups are Black (22.1%) and Two or More Races (5.4%). 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 Claybrook in the 2020 Census, accounting for 67.3% (788 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Claybrook appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (67.3%), Black (22.1%), Two or More Races (5.4%). 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 Claybrook (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 Claybrook mean?
A topographic surname suggesting someone who lived by a brook flowing through clay soil. 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 Claybrook (0.39 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 many Americans have the surname Claybrook?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.