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

Clinton, 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 Clinton surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Clinton in America

Clinton is the 2242nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Clinton surname appeared 16,263 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Clinton.

We can also compare 2010 data for Clinton 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 Clinton

The surname Clinton is believed to have originated in England during the Anglo-Saxon period. It is derived from the Old English words "clun" or "clin," which meant a hill or ridge, and "tun," meaning a town or settlement. Thus, the name Clinton originally referred to someone who lived in a town situated on a hill or ridge.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Clinton can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landholdings commissioned by William the Conqueror. The Domesday Book lists several individuals with the surname Clinton or variations like Clintone or Clyntone, indicating that the name was already established in various parts of England by the late 11th century.

The surname Clinton has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest was Roger de Clinton, a prominent nobleman and landowner who lived during the reign of King Henry II in the 12th century. Another early bearer of the name was John de Clinton, who served as Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports and fought in the Battle of Crecy during the Hundred Years' War in the 14th century.

In the 16th century, Edward Clinton, 1st Earl of Lincoln (1512-1585), was a prominent courtier and military commander who served under King Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I. His descendant, Henry Clinton (1730-1795), was a British army officer who played a significant role in the American Revolutionary War, serving as a commander in several major battles.

Another famous bearer of the surname was Sir Henry Clinton (1771-1829), a British politician and military officer who served as Governor of Gibraltar and later as Governor-General of British North America during the early 19th century.

George Clinton (1739-1812), an American soldier and statesman, was a founding father of the United States and served as the fourth Vice President under Presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. He also had a distinguished military career during the American Revolutionary War.

Over the centuries, the surname Clinton has been associated with various place names in England, such as Clinton in Oxfordshire, Clintone in Buckinghamshire, and Clynton in Nottinghamshire, among others. While the spelling has evolved over time, the name's connection to its Old English roots and its association with hilltop settlements remains evident.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Clinton

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

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

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

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