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

Claycomb, 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 Claycomb surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Claycomb in America

Claycomb is the 13916th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Claycomb surname appeared 2,170 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 Claycomb.

We can also compare 2010 data for Claycomb 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 Claycomb

The surname Claycomb has its origins in England, tracing back to the medieval period. It derives from the Old English words "claeg" meaning clay and "cumb" meaning a valley or hollow. The name likely originated as a topographic surname, referring to someone who lived near a clay valley or dell.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Claicombe." This entry suggests that the name was already established in certain parts of England by the time of the Norman Conquest.

During the Middle Ages, the name was primarily concentrated in the counties of Devon and Somerset in southwestern England. It is believed that the earliest bearers of the name were landowners or tenants in these areas, which were known for their clay-rich soil and valleys.

The name underwent various spelling variations over the centuries, including Claycombe, Claycomb, Claycomp, and Claycumb. These variations reflect the inconsistencies in spelling and record-keeping during those times.

Notable individuals bearing the Claycomb surname include:

1. William Claycombe (c. 1545 - 1609), an English landowner and member of the gentry in Devon.
2. John Claycomb (c. 1620 - 1678), a farmer and one of the earliest settlers in the Virginia Colony.
3. Elizabeth Claycombe (c. 1670 - 1745), a prominent Quaker minister and writer from Bristol, England.
4. Thomas Claycomb (1738 - 1812), a British soldier who served in the American Revolutionary War.
5. Robert Claycomb (1802 - 1876), an influential Scottish-born industrialist and philanthropist in the United States.

Over time, some branches of the Claycomb family migrated to other parts of Britain, as well as to British colonies in North America and elsewhere. However, the name has retained its strongest ties to its origins in the southwestern regions of England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Claycomb

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

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

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

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