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

Clemson, 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 Clemson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Clemson in America

Clemson is the 37993rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Clemson surname appeared 584 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 Clemson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Clemson 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 Clemson

The surname Clemson has its origins in England, where it first emerged around the 13th century. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from the place name Clemenson, which was once a small village or hamlet located in the county of Yorkshire. The name Clemenson is thought to have originated from the Old English words "cleme," meaning "mud" or "clay," and "tun," meaning a farm or settlement.

Some of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Clemson can be found in medieval records and documents. For example, the name appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1301, where a Robert de Clemenson is mentioned. This suggests that the Clemson family had already established itself in the region by the early 14th century.

Another notable early reference to the name Clemson can be found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, which lists a John Clemenson among the taxpayers. This record provides evidence of the surname's continued presence in the area during the late Middle Ages.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Clemson began to spread beyond its original Yorkshire stronghold. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this name was William Clemson, who was born in Leicestershire in 1568. He went on to become a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of London.

In the 18th century, the Clemson surname gained further recognition with the birth of John Clemson (1728-1805), a renowned English architect and surveyor. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings in London, including the Church of St. Mary Aldermary and the Goldsmith's Hall.

Another notable figure from this period was Thomas Clemson (1772-1845), a successful businessman and philanthropist from Lancashire. He amassed a considerable fortune through his textile manufacturing ventures and later endowed the establishment of Clemson University in South Carolina, which bears his name.

In the 19th century, one of the most prominent individuals with the Clemson surname was Elizabeth Clemson (1826-1912), a British author and social reformer. She wrote several influential works on women's rights and education, and was a leading figure in the early suffragette movement.

Throughout its history, the Clemson surname has also been associated with various places and locations. For example, the village of Clemson in Oxfordshire is believed to have been named after an early holder of the surname, as was the town of Clemson in South Carolina, which was founded in the late 19th century and named in honor of Thomas Clemson, the university's benefactor.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Clemson

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

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

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

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