2000
#8,650
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,498
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.30
Rare Last name
Clemmer
A German occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of tongs or pincers.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,694 Americans carry the last name Clemmer. That puts it at #9,641 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 92,787 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Clemmer 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
3.7K
1 in 92,787
Census rank
#9,641
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,221 bearers of the surname Clemmer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9641st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Clemmer, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Black (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Clemmer
The surname Clemmer has its origins in Germany, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Middle High German word "klammer," which means "clip" or "fastener." This suggests that the name may have been an occupational surname for someone who worked as a maker or seller of clips or fasteners.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Clemmer name can be found in the church records of the town of Külsheim, located in the present-day state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. In these records, a "Hans Clemmer" is listed as a resident in the year 1567.
As the name spread across various regions of Germany, it underwent slight variations in spelling, such as "Klemmer" and "Klammer." These variations were likely due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in record-keeping during that time.
In the late 17th century, the Clemmer surname began to appear in various regions of what is now modern-day Pennsylvania in the United States. This was likely due to German immigration to the British colonies in North America. One notable early bearer of the name was Johann Clemmer, who was born in 1673 in Sinsheim, Germany, and later settled in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania.
Another historically significant figure with the Clemmer surname was Jacob Clemmer, a German-American farmer and miller who lived in Berks County, Pennsylvania, in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He played a role in the early agricultural development of the region.
In the 19th century, the Clemmer name also appeared in various parts of Europe, including Switzerland and Austria. One notable individual from this period was Johann Clemmer, a Swiss politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Grand Council of the Canton of Bern in the 1870s.
As the name continued to spread across different regions, it also took on various forms, such as "Clemmers" and "Clammers." These variations were often influenced by local dialects and the preferences of individual families.
Throughout its history, the Clemmer surname has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including farmers, artisans, politicians, and professionals. While not a particularly common name, it has left its mark on the historical records of several countries, reflecting the diverse journeys and contributions of those who carried this surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Clemmer
Among Census respondents with the surname Clemmer, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Black (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Clemmer 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 Clemmer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.7% · 2,857
- Two or more races4.4% · 141
- Black or African American3.7% · 118
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 78
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Clemmer
Clemmer 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
#9,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,444
-54 bearers (-1.5%)
Per 100,000 1.17
Rank movement Down 796 places
2020
#9,641
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,221
-223 bearers (-6.5%)
Per 100,000 1.08
Rank movement Down 195 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,650 | 3,498 | 1.30 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,446 | 3,444 | 1.17 | -54 bearers (-1.5%) | Down 796 places |
| 2020 | #9,641 | 3,221 | 1.08 | -223 bearers (-6.5%) | Down 195 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 Clemmer 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 | #9,446 | #9,641 | -2.1% |
| Count | 3,444 | 3,221 | -6.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.17 | 1.08 | -7.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Clemmer bearers went from 3,444 to 3,221 (-6.5% change). The surname moved down 195 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,446 to #9,641.
FAQ
Clemmer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Clemmer?
Name Census estimates that about 3,694 living Americans carry the surname Clemmer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 92,787 residents.
How common is Clemmer?
Clemmer ranks #9,641 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.08 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,221 people with the surname Clemmer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,694), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.08 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Clemmer.
Has Clemmer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Clemmer went from 3,444 recorded bearers to 3,221. That is a decrease of 223 (-6.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,446 to #9,641.
What does the Census say about the background of Clemmer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Clemmer, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Black (3.7%). 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 Clemmer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.7% (2,857 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Clemmer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.7%), Two or More Races (4.4%), Black (3.7%). 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 Clemmer (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 Clemmer mean?
A German occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of tongs or pincers. 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 Clemmer (1.08 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 many people are called Clemmer?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Clemmer at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.