2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Clipson
An English surname suggesting the bearer's ancestor lived near cliffs or a steep hill.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Clipson. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Clipson 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Clipson with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Clipson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Clipson, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Black (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Clipson
The surname Clipson has its origins in England, tracing back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "clif" meaning a steep slope or cliff, and "tun" meaning an enclosure or settlement. This suggests that the name likely originated from a place name referring to a settlement near a cliff or steep slope.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Clipson can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1194, where a certain "Adam de Clifton" is mentioned. This spelling variation, "Clifton," provides insight into the name's evolution over time.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various historical records, including the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire from 1273, which mentions a "Robert de Cliftone." The Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk from 1327 also reference a "John Clyfton," further highlighting the name's spelling variations.
The Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landholdings in England compiled in 1086, does not explicitly mention the surname Clipson. However, it does include numerous place names with similar roots, such as Clifton in Nottinghamshire and Clifton in Yorkshire, indicating the name's potential origins from these locations.
Notable individuals with the surname Clipson throughout history include:
1. Robert Clipson (born c. 1460), an English composer and musician during the Renaissance period.
2. William Clipson (1535-1608), an English clergyman and author who served as the Bishop of Peterborough.
3. Elizabeth Clipson (1621-1698), a prominent Quaker minister and writer from Hertfordshire.
4. Thomas Clipson (1723-1789), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War.
5. John Clipson (1812-1878), a renowned English architect and urban planner responsible for designing several iconic buildings in London.
It is worth noting that many variations of the surname, such as Clifton, Cliftone, and Clyfton, were more commonly used throughout history, reflecting the evolution of naming conventions and spelling over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Clipson
Among Census respondents with the surname Clipson, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Black (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Clipson 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 Clipson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.3% · 98
- Two or more races3.8% · 4
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Clipson
Clipson 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
#140,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+7 bearers (+6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,341 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-14 bearers (-11.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,832 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #137,816 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.3%) | Down 2,341 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-11.8%) | Down 12,832 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 Clipson 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 | #140,157 | #152,989 | -9.2% |
| Count | 119 | 105 | -11.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Clipson bearers went from 119 to 105 (-11.8% change). The surname moved down 12,832 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #152,989.
FAQ
Clipson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Clipson?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Clipson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Clipson?
Clipson ranks #152,989 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 105 people with the surname Clipson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Clipson.
Has Clipson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Clipson went from 119 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 14 (-11.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Clipson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Clipson, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Black (1.0%). 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 Clipson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.3% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Clipson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.3%), Two or More Races (3.8%), Black (1.0%). 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 Clipson (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 Clipson mean?
An English surname suggesting the bearer's ancestor lived near cliffs or a steep hill. 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 Clipson (0.04 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 Clipson?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.