2000
#18,693
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,358
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.50
Rare Last name
Clingerman
A surname referring to someone who lived or worked near a clinging or climbing plant.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,279 Americans carry the last name Clingerman. That puts it at #23,499 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.37 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 267,986 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Clingerman 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
1.3K
1 in 267,986
Census rank
#23,499
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,115 bearers of the surname Clingerman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.37 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 23499th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Clingerman, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.9%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Clingerman
The surname Clingerman is believed to have originated in Germany, likely in the 16th or 17th century. It is derived from the German word "klinger," which means "one who makes or sells swords, knives, or other blades." The name suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname were likely involved in the metalworking or armory trade.
One of the earliest known records of the Clingerman surname dates back to 1652, when a Johann Clingerman was listed in a church register in the town of Esslingen, near Stuttgart, Germany. It is possible that the name originated in this region and then spread to other parts of Germany and neighboring countries as people migrated.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, many Germans with the surname Clingerman immigrated to America, seeking new opportunities and a better life. One notable individual was Johann Clingerman (1732-1809), who settled in Pennsylvania and served as a captain in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.
Another notable bearer of the Clingerman name was Wilhelm Clingerman (1802-1878), a German-born American farmer and businessman who established a successful agricultural business in Ohio. His son, Carl Clingerman (1836-1921), followed in his father's footsteps and became a prominent figure in the local community.
In the United Kingdom, the name Clingerman is less common but can be traced back to the late 18th century. One early record is that of Thomas Clingerman (1785-1867), a British merchant who traded goods between England and the Netherlands.
Other notable individuals with the surname Clingerman include Hans Clingerman (1890-1964), a German-born American artist and sculptor known for his intricate woodcarvings, and Emily Clingerman (1895-1982), an American educator and advocate for women's rights who served as the first female principal of a high school in her home state of Ohio.
While the Clingerman surname is not as widespread as some others, it has a rich history and can be traced back to its Germanic roots, where it was likely associated with the metalworking and armory trades in the medieval and early modern periods.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Clingerman
Among Census respondents with the surname Clingerman, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.9%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Clingerman 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 Clingerman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.2% · 1,017
- Two or more races4.9% · 55
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 34
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Clingerman
Clingerman 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
#20,770
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,272
-86 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.43
Rank movement Down 2,077 places
2020
#23,499
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,115
-157 bearers (-12.3%)
Per 100,000 0.37
Rank movement Down 2,729 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #18,693 | 1,358 | 0.50 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #20,770 | 1,272 | 0.43 | -86 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 2,077 places |
| 2020 | #23,499 | 1,115 | 0.37 | -157 bearers (-12.3%) | Down 2,729 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 Clingerman 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 | #20,770 | #23,499 | -13.1% |
| Count | 1,272 | 1,115 | -12.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.43 | 0.37 | -13.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Clingerman bearers went from 1,272 to 1,115 (-12.3% change). The surname moved down 2,729 positions in the national ranking, going from #20,770 to #23,499.
FAQ
Clingerman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Clingerman?
Name Census estimates that about 1,279 living Americans carry the surname Clingerman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 267,986 residents.
How common is Clingerman?
Clingerman ranks #23,499 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.37 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 1,115 people with the surname Clingerman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,279), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.37 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.37 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 Clingerman.
Has Clingerman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Clingerman went from 1,272 recorded bearers to 1,115. That is a decrease of 157 (-12.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #20,770 to #23,499.
What does the Census say about the background of Clingerman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Clingerman, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.9%) and Hispanic (3.0%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Clingerman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (1,017 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Clingerman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.2%), Two or More Races (4.9%), Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Clingerman (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 Clingerman mean?
A surname referring to someone who lived or worked near a clinging or climbing plant. 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 Clingerman (0.37 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 Americans have the surname Clingerman?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.