2000
#4,034
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,087
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.00
Rare Last name
Clem
A shortened form of Clement, meaning mild or merciful, originally derived from the Latin name Clemens.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,862 Americans carry the last name Clem. That puts it at #4,449 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.59 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 38,677 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Clem 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.
Bearers in the US
8.9K
1 in 38,677
Census rank
#4,449
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,728 bearers of the surname Clem in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.59 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4449th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Clem, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Clem
The surname Clem has its origins in England, dating back to the late medieval period. It is likely derived from the Old English word "clemm," which means "to clench or grip tightly." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a person with a strong or forceful grip, possibly referring to a particular occupation or physical characteristic.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Clem can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire, dated 1327, where it appears as "Clemme." This indicates that the name was already established in the West Midlands region of England by the 14th century.
The Clem surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Clem's Green in Worcestershire and Clempston in Nottinghamshire. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.
Historically, the Clem surname has been linked to individuals of note, including John Clem, a renowned English clergyman and scholar who lived in the late 16th century. He was born in Worcestershire in 1586 and later became the Rector of Tredington, Warwickshire, where he served until his death in 1658.
Another notable figure was Robert Clem, an English soldier and adventurer who lived in the late 17th century. He was born in Gloucestershire in 1670 and gained fame for his exploits during the Nine Years' War, serving under the Duke of Marlborough.
In the 18th century, the name Clem was associated with Samuel Clem, a prominent merchant and landowner from Yorkshire. He was born in 1712 and played a significant role in the local community, serving as a magistrate and contributing to the development of the region's trade and industry.
The 19th century saw the rise of William Clem, a British politician and social reformer. Born in 1811 in Warwickshire, he was elected to Parliament in 1847 and became a prominent advocate for workers' rights and educational reform.
Another notable Clem was Henry Clem, a renowned English architect who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born in 1858 in Gloucestershire, he was responsible for designing several iconic buildings, including the City Hall in Birmingham and the Guildhall in Cambridge.
While the Clem surname may have evolved and spread across different regions over the centuries, its origins can be traced back to the Old English word "clemm," reflecting its deep roots in English history and language.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Clem
Among Census respondents with the surname Clem, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Clem 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 Clem surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.7% · 6,934
- Two or more races4.4% · 337
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 240
- Black or African American1.6% · 120
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 55
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 42
Timeline
Historical Census data for Clem
Clem 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
#4,384
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,107
+20 bearers (+0.2%)
Per 100,000 2.75
Rank movement Down 350 places
2020
#4,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,728
-379 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 2.59
Rank movement Down 65 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,034 | 8,087 | 3.00 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,384 | 8,107 | 2.75 | +20 bearers (+0.2%) | Down 350 places |
| 2020 | #4,449 | 7,728 | 2.59 | -379 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 65 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 Clem 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 | #4,384 | #4,449 | -1.5% |
| Count | 8,107 | 7,728 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 2.75 | 2.59 | -6.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Clem bearers went from 8,107 to 7,728 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 65 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,384 to #4,449.
FAQ
Clem surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Clem?
Name Census estimates that about 8,862 living Americans carry the surname Clem. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 38,677 residents.
How common is Clem?
Clem ranks #4,449 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.59 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,728 people with the surname Clem. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,862), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.59 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.59 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Clem.
Has Clem become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Clem went from 8,107 recorded bearers to 7,728. That is a decrease of 379 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,384 to #4,449.
What does the Census say about the background of Clem?
Among Census respondents with the surname Clem, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Clem in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.7% (6,934 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Clem appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.7%), Two or More Races (4.4%), Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Clem (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 Clem mean?
A shortened form of Clement, meaning mild or merciful, originally derived from the Latin name Clemens. 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 Clem (2.59 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 common is the surname Clem?
See how common the surname Clem is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.