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

Cline, 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 Cline surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cline in America

Cline is the 684th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cline surname appeared 50,258 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 17 people would have the surname Cline.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cline 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 Cline

The surname Cline is derived from the Old English word "clin" or "clyne", which means "a valley" or "a ravine". This name originated in England during the Anglo-Saxon period, which lasted from the 5th to the 11th century.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, such as "de Cline", "de Clyne", and "de Clina", indicating that the bearers of this name were likely located near a valley or ravine.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname was Robert de Clyne, who lived in Oxfordshire, England, during the 13th century. Another notable figure was John Cline, a wealthy merchant from Bristol, England, who lived in the 15th century and was known for his philanthropic endeavors.

The surname Cline also has connections to various place names in England, such as Cline in Derbyshire and Clyne in Swansea, Wales. These place names likely influenced the spelling variations of the surname over time.

In the 17th century, the Cline surname gained prominence with the birth of Mary Cline (1624-1704), who was one of the first English settlers in Virginia, USA. She married John Gorsuch, and their descendants played a significant role in the early history of the American colonies.

Another notable figure with the Cline surname was John Cline (1759-1825), an American Revolutionary War soldier and pioneer who settled in what is now West Virginia. He was renowned for his bravery and leadership during the Battle of Point Pleasant in 1774.

In the 19th century, James Cline (1809-1891) was a prominent American politician and lawyer who served as a judge in Iowa and was actively involved in the establishment of the Republican Party.

Throughout history, the Cline surname has been carried by numerous individuals who have left their mark in various fields, such as literature, politics, and military service.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cline

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

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

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

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