2000
#104,257
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 159
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Clervil
A French surname derived from a Norman-French place name referring to a bright, sunlit area.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 511 Americans carry the last name Clervil. That puts it at #50,632 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 670,752 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Clervil 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
511
1 in 670,752
Census rank
#50,632
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
446
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 446 bearers of the surname Clervil in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 50632nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Clervil, the largest self-reported group is Black at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and White (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Clervil
The surname CLERVIL originates from France, specifically the northern regions of Normandy and Brittany. It is believed to have emerged during the late Middle Ages, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is derived from the Old French words "clerc" and "ville," meaning "clerk" and "village" or "town," respectively. This suggests that the name may have been initially borne by someone who was a clerk or a literate person associated with a particular village or town.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the CLERVIL name can be found in the Rolls of the Norman Exchequer, a collection of financial records from the Duchy of Normandy during the 12th and 13th centuries. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Clervile," "Clereville," and "Claireville," reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions of the time.
During the 15th century, the CLERVIL surname gained prominence in the region of Brittany, where it was associated with several notable families. One notable figure was Jean CLERVIL (c. 1420-1488), a wealthy merchant and landowner from the town of Rennes. His descendants played influential roles in the local governance and trade affairs of the region.
In the 16th century, the name appears in historical records related to the French Wars of Religion. Pierre CLERVIL (c. 1530-1595) was a Huguenot soldier and captain who fought alongside the Protestant forces during these conflicts. His bravery and leadership were recognized by his contemporaries, and he was granted lands in the Poitou region for his service.
Another notable figure was François CLERVIL (1585-1648), a renowned jurist and legal scholar from Paris. He authored several influential treatises on civil law and served as a judge in the Parlement of Paris, one of the highest courts in the Kingdom of France at the time.
In the 18th century, the CLERVIL name gained further prominence with the rise of Jacques CLERVIL (1710-1778), a successful merchant and shipowner from the port city of Nantes. He amassed considerable wealth through his trading ventures and became a prominent figure in the city's mercantile community.
Throughout its history, the CLERVIL surname has been associated with various professions, including clergy, merchants, soldiers, and legal professionals. While its origins can be traced back to northern France, the name has since spread to other regions and countries through migration and cultural exchange.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Clervil
Among Census respondents with the surname Clervil, the largest self-reported group is Black at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and White (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Clervil 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 Clervil surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American92.6% · 413
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 14
- White2.2% · 10
- Two or more races1.6% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Clervil
Clervil 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
#65,782
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 301
+142 bearers (+89.3%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Up 38,475 places
2020
#50,632
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 446
+145 bearers (+48.2%)
Per 100,000 0.15
Rank movement Up 15,150 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #104,257 | 159 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #65,782 | 301 | 0.10 | +142 bearers (+89.3%) | Up 38,475 places |
| 2020 | #50,632 | 446 | 0.15 | +145 bearers (+48.2%) | Up 15,150 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 Clervil 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 | #65,782 | #50,632 | 23.0% |
| Count | 301 | 446 | 48.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.10 | 0.15 | 49.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Clervil bearers went from 301 to 446 (+48.2% change). The surname moved up 15,150 positions in the national ranking, going from #65,782 to #50,632.
FAQ
Clervil surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Clervil?
Name Census estimates that about 511 living Americans carry the surname Clervil. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 670,752 residents.
How common is Clervil?
Clervil ranks #50,632 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.15 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 446 people with the surname Clervil. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (511), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.15 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Clervil.
Has Clervil become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Clervil went from 301 recorded bearers to 446. That is an increase of 145 (+48.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #65,782 to #50,632.
What does the Census say about the background of Clervil?
Among Census respondents with the surname Clervil, the largest self-reported group is Black at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and White (2.2%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Clervil in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (413 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Clervil appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (92.6%), Hispanic (3.1%), White (2.2%). 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 Clervil (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 Clervil mean?
A French surname derived from a Norman-French place name referring to a bright, sunlit area. 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 Clervil (0.15 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 Clervil?
You can see how many people have the surname Clervil on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.