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

Clingan, 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 Clingan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Clingan in America

Clingan is the 15995th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Clingan surname appeared 1,815 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Clingan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Clingan 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 Clingan

The surname Clingan is of Scottish origin, originating in the late 12th century. It is derived from the Scottish Gaelic word "clingean," meaning "to cling or adhere." This suggests that the name may have been initially used as a descriptive nickname for someone who was particularly tenacious or persistent.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the records of the Scottish Exchequer Rolls, where a John Clyngane is mentioned in 1499. There are also references to a Roger Clingan in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which were a series of homage rolls submitted to Edward I of England.

The Clingan name is closely associated with the Scottish Borders region, particularly in the counties of Roxburghshire and Berwickshire. The name is also found in various spellings, such as Clyngane, Clyngan, and Clyngham, reflecting the phonetic variations of the time.

One notable early bearer of the name was Robert Clingan (1592-1672), a Scottish minister and theologian who served as the rector of the University of St. Andrews. Another was John Clingan (1685-1763), a Scottish merchant and landowner who owned estates in Galloway.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Clingan surname spread to other parts of the British Isles, including Ireland and England. One prominent figure was James Clingan (1720-1789), an Irish-born soldier who served in the British Army during the American Revolutionary War.

In the 19th century, the Clingan name began to appear in historical records in North America, likely due to Scottish and Irish immigration. One example is William Clingan (1809-1888), a Scottish-American farmer and politician who served in the Wisconsin State Assembly.

Another notable bearer of the name was Andrew Clingan (1830-1913), an Irish-born American businessman and philanthropist who made a fortune in the lumber industry. He donated funds to establish the Clingan Memorial Library in his hometown of New Concord, Ohio.

Throughout its history, the Clingan surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including clergy, merchants, soldiers, farmers, and philanthropists. While relatively uncommon, it remains a distinctive name with deep Scottish roots and a rich cultural heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Clingan

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

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

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

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