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

Clifford, 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 Clifford surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Clifford in America

Clifford is the 1618th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Clifford surname appeared 22,245 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 8 people would have the surname Clifford.

We can also compare 2010 data for Clifford 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 Clifford

The surname Clifford originated in England, with its roots dating back to the early medieval period. The name derives from the Old English words "clif," meaning a cliff or slope, and "ford," referring to a shallow river crossing. Thus, Clifford likely denoted someone who lived near a cliff or steep slope by a river ford.

Clifford first appeared in written records during the Norman Conquest of England in the 11th century. It is believed that the name was introduced to Britain by Norman nobility who adopted the moniker after settling in areas with such geographical features. The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, mentions several individuals with the surname Clifford or similar spellings like Clifford or Clyfford.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Clifford name is Walter de Clifford, who lived in the late 11th and early 12th centuries. He was a Norman landowner who held estates in Herefordshire and other parts of the Welsh Marches. The Clifford family later became prominent Marcher Lords, playing a significant role in the conflicts between England and Wales during the Middle Ages.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Clifford surname. One of the most renowned was Roger de Clifford (c. 1330-1389), a prominent military commander during the Hundred Years' War. He served as a Marshal of England and fought in numerous battles, including the Battle of Poitiers in 1356.

Another prominent Clifford was Anne Clifford (1590-1676), a wealthy heiress and landowner who fought legal battles to claim her inheritance. She is remembered for her extensive renovations of several castles and her patronage of the arts and literature.

In the realm of literature, the Clifford name gained prominence through the work of Martin Clifford (c. 1624-1677), an English poet and translator who was part of the literary circle around John Dryden.

The Clifford surname also has ties to the scientific community. William Kingdon Clifford (1845-1879) was a renowned English mathematician and philosopher who made significant contributions to the fields of geometry and physics.

Finally, the Clifford family has left its mark on the United States as well. Nathan Clifford (1803-1881) was a prominent American jurist who served as a Justice on the Supreme Court of the United States from 1858 to 1881.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Clifford

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

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

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

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