2000
#1,282
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 25,265
First available Census row
Per 100,000 9.37
Uncommon Last name
Clemons
Derived from a placename meaning "pleasant valley" in Old English or from a nickname meaning "merciful" in Middle English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 29,457 Americans carry the last name Clemons. That puts it at #1,340 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 8.59 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 11,636 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Clemons 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Clemons with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
29K
1 in 11,636
Census rank
#1,340
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
8.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
26K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 25,688 bearers of the surname Clemons in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 8.59 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1340th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Clemons, the largest self-reported group is White at 49.1%. The next largest groups are Black (41.3%) and Two or More Races (5.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Clemons
The surname Clemons is of English origin, traced back to the 11th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "clement," meaning mild or merciful. This name was likely initially given as a nickname to someone with a gentle disposition.
In its earliest recorded form, the surname appeared as "Clements" in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive record of landowners and properties across England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name was predominantly found in the counties of Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire.
Over time, the name evolved through various spellings, including Clemens, Clemence, and Clements, before settling into its modern form of Clemons. This variation in spelling was common during the Middle Ages due to the lack of standardized English orthography.
One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing this surname was Sir John Clemons, a prominent landowner and knight who lived in Gloucestershire during the late 13th century. Another notable figure was William Clemons, a merchant from Bristol who played a crucial role in the city's thriving wool trade in the 15th century.
In the 16th century, the name Clemons appeared in the historical records of the Oxfordshire town of Burford, where several families with the surname resided. One such family was the Clemons of Shilton, who owned substantial land holdings in the area.
During the 17th century, the Clemons name gained prominence with the birth of John Clemons (1617-1692), a renowned English clergyman and academic. He served as the Bishop of Llandaff and later became the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge.
Another noteworthy individual was Sir William Clemons (1642-1711), a successful businessman and politician who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1695. His legacy includes the establishment of the Clemons Charity, which provided financial assistance to underprivileged children in the city.
In the 18th century, the Clemons family produced several influential figures, including Robert Clemons (1727-1804), a prominent lawyer and judge who served as the Chief Justice of the Court of King's Bench in Ireland.
As the surname spread across the British Isles and beyond, it continued to be associated with individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, artists, and military leaders.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Clemons
Among Census respondents with the surname Clemons, the largest self-reported group is White at 49.1%. The next largest groups are Black (41.3%) and Two or More Races (5.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Clemons 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 Clemons surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White49.1% · 12,619
- Black or African American41.3% · 10,602
- Two or more races5.3% · 1,372
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 789
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 175
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 131
Timeline
Historical Census data for Clemons
Clemons 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
#1,300
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 27,022
+1,757 bearers (+7.0%)
Per 100,000 9.16
Rank movement Down 18 places
2020
#1,340
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 25,688
-1,334 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 8.59
Rank movement Down 40 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,282 | 25,265 | 9.37 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,300 | 27,022 | 9.16 | +1,757 bearers (+7.0%) | Down 18 places |
| 2020 | #1,340 | 25,688 | 8.59 | -1,334 bearers (-4.9%) | Down 40 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 Clemons 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 | #1,300 | #1,340 | -3.1% |
| Count | 27,022 | 25,688 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 9.16 | 8.59 | -6.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Clemons bearers went from 27,022 to 25,688 (-4.9% change). The surname moved down 40 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,300 to #1,340.
FAQ
Clemons surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Clemons?
Name Census estimates that about 29,457 living Americans carry the surname Clemons. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 11,636 residents.
How common is Clemons?
Clemons ranks #1,340 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 8.59 per 100,000 residents, which is about 9 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 25,688 people with the surname Clemons. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (29,457), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 8.59 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 8.59 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 9 of them to have the surname Clemons.
Has Clemons become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Clemons went from 27,022 recorded bearers to 25,688. That is a decrease of 1,334 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,300 to #1,340.
What does the Census say about the background of Clemons?
Among Census respondents with the surname Clemons, the largest self-reported group is White at 49.1%. The next largest groups are Black (41.3%) and Two or More Races (5.3%). 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 Clemons in the 2020 Census, accounting for 49.1% (12,619 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Clemons appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (49.1%), Black (41.3%), Two or More Races (5.3%). 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 Clemons (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 Clemons mean?
Derived from a placename meaning "pleasant valley" in Old English or from a nickname meaning "merciful" in Middle English. 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 Clemons (8.59 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 Clemons?
Find out how many people are called Clemons on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.