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

Clear, 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 Clear surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Clear in America

Clear is the 13572nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Clear surname appeared 2,234 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 Clear.

We can also compare 2010 data for Clear 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 Clear

The surname Clear has its origins in England, and can be traced back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "claere" or "clere," which meant bright or shining. This may have been a descriptive nickname given to someone with a bright complexion or a cheerful disposition.

In the 13th century, the name was recorded in various spellings such as Clere, Cleer, and Cler in different regions of England. The earliest known record of the name is found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1221, which mentions a person named Richard le Clere.

The name Clear can also be associated with certain place names in England, such as Clere in Hampshire, which was once spelled as "Cler." It is possible that some individuals may have adopted the surname as a reference to their place of origin or residence.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Clear was Sir John Clere, who lived in the late 14th century and served as a member of Parliament for Norfolk in 1380 and 1384.

Another notable figure with this surname was Sir Edward Clear (1617-1707), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Wigan in 1660.

In the 17th century, the surname Clear was found in various parts of England, including London, where John Clear (1628-1707), a prominent merchant and member of the East India Company, lived and worked.

The name also appeared in the historical records of Scotland, with figures like Alexander Clear (1697-1755), a Scottish minister and author who wrote several religious works.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Clear was Sir Ralph Clear (1792-1865), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and later became an Admiral.

While the surname Clear has its origins in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia, due to migration and immigration patterns over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Clear

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

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

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

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