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

Clee, 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 Clee surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Clee in America

Clee is the 71886th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Clee surname appeared 271 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 Clee.

We can also compare 2010 data for Clee 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 Clee

The surname Clee has its origins in England, tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from a geographical place name, specifically referring to the Clee Hills, a range of hills located in Shropshire. The name may have originated as a descriptive term for individuals residing near or associated with these hills.

During the 13th century, the name Clee appeared in various historical records and documents from the region. One notable mention is found in the 1275 Hundred Rolls of Shropshire, where it is recorded as "de Clee." This suggests that the name was initially used as a locative surname, indicating a person's place of origin or residence.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Clee dates back to the late 13th century, when a John de Clee was documented in the Shropshire Assize Rolls of 1292. This demonstrates that the name was well-established in the area by that time.

Throughout the centuries, the surname Clee has undergone slight variations in spelling, such as Clees, Cleese, and Cleyes, reflecting regional dialect differences and scribal variations of the time. However, the core form of the name has remained relatively consistent.

One notable figure bearing the surname Clee was John Clee, a prominent English clergyman born in 1556 in Shropshire. He served as the Archdeacon of Stafford and held various ecclesiastical positions within the Church of England.

Another individual of note was Sir Henry Clee, who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was a landowner and Member of Parliament for Shropshire in the early 1600s, demonstrating the surname's association with local prominence and influence.

In the 18th century, the name Clee gained further recognition with Thomas Clee (1710-1783), a renowned English architect who designed several notable buildings, including the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Shropshire.

The 19th century saw the birth of William Clee (1840-1918), a respected English botanist and naturalist. He made significant contributions to the study of flora and fauna in his native Shropshire region.

Additionally, the name Clee has been associated with various place names in Shropshire, such as Clee St. Margaret and Clee Stanton, further reinforcing its geographic origins and ties to the area.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Clee

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

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

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

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