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

Clinger, 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 Clinger surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Clinger in America

Clinger is the 14803rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Clinger surname appeared 2,004 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 Clinger.

We can also compare 2010 data for Clinger 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 Clinger

The surname Clinger has its origins in Germany, with records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Middle High German word "klingen," which means "to cling" or "to adhere." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who clung tenaciously to a particular belief or way of life.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the town records of Nuremberg, where a certain Hans Clinger is mentioned as a resident in 1547. The name also appears in various church records from the same time period in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony.

In the 17th century, the Clinger name can be found in the records of the German city of Hamburg, where a merchant named Johann Clinger is listed as having traded goods with the Netherlands and England. This suggests that the name had spread beyond its original regional boundaries.

As the centuries progressed, the Clinger surname began to appear in other parts of Europe, likely due to migration and the movement of people. One notable bearer of the name was Friedrich Clinger, a German philosopher and writer who lived from 1752 to 1831. He is best known for his plays and essays that explored themes of social justice and human rights.

In the 19th century, the Clinger name found its way to North America, with several families settling in Pennsylvania and Ohio. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Jacob Clinger, who was born in 1812 in Pennsylvania and served as a private in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

Another notable figure with the Clinger surname was Henry Clinger, a German-American architect who lived from 1876 to 1945. He is known for his contributions to the Art Deco style and designed several iconic buildings in New York City, including the Chanin Building and the Century Apartments.

Throughout history, the Clinger surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, writers, soldiers, and businesspeople. While it may have originated as a descriptive name related to a particular characteristic or occupation, it has since become a diverse and widespread surname found across multiple continents.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Clinger

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

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

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

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