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

Clayter, 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 Clayter surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Clayter in America

Clayter is the 136449th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Clayter surname appeared 123 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Clayter.

We can also compare 2010 data for Clayter 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 Clayter

The surname Clayter has its origins in the northern regions of England, particularly in the counties of Northumberland and Durham. It is believed to have emerged in the 13th or 14th century, derived from the Old English word "clæg," which means clay or clayey soil.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Clayter can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Northumberland from the year 1292, where a certain John Clayter is mentioned as a landowner in the village of Warkworth. This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with occupations related to working with clay, such as pottery or brick-making.

In the 15th century, the Clayter surname appears in the records of the Priory of Coldingham in Berwickshire, Scotland. This could indicate that some members of the family had migrated or settled in the Scottish Borders region during that time period.

During the reign of Elizabeth I in the late 16th century, a notable figure named Robert Clayter was a merchant and alderman in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne. He was involved in the coal trade and played a significant role in the economic life of the region.

The Clayters were also present in various parishes across Durham and Northumberland, as evidenced by parish records from the 17th and 18th centuries. Some of the notable individuals from this time include William Clayter (1634-1699), a farmer and landowner in the village of Warden, and John Clayter (1712-1783), a respected clergyman who served as the vicar of Hartburn.

In the 19th century, the Clayter surname gained prominence through the achievements of Thomas Clayter (1808-1879), a renowned architect who designed several notable buildings in Newcastle upon Tyne, including the Royal Arcade and the Central Exchange Buildings.

Other notable Clayters throughout history include Mary Clayter (1845-1918), a pioneering educator and headmistress of the Sunderland High School for Girls, and James Clayter (1867-1941), a prominent businessman and philanthropist who founded the Clayter Trust for the benefit of underprivileged children in the Newcastle area.

While the Clayter surname may not be widely known today, its historical roots can be traced back to the northern counties of England, where it emerged as a name associated with clay and the occupations related to working with this material.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Clayter

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

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

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

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