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

Clofer, 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 Clofer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Clofer in America

Clofer is the 144141st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Clofer surname appeared 115 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Clofer.

The history of the last name Clofer

The surname CLOFER has its origins in the English counties of Derbyshire and Staffordshire, where it first appeared in the late 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "clof" meaning "cleft" or "cloven" and "fer" meaning "a journey or path", referring to someone who lived near a cleft or ravine along a well-traveled path.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire from 1272, where a Robert de Cloffare is listed as a landowner. The name also appears in various forms in Medieval English records, such as Cloffer, Cloffere, and Clofere.

In the 14th century, the CLOFER surname is found in the Manor Court Rolls of Duffield, Derbyshire, indicating that the family had established roots in the area. A John Clofer is recorded as holding land in Duffield in 1346.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name spread to other parts of England, including Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. Notable bearers of the CLOFER name from this period include William Clofer (c. 1520-1592), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Doncaster, and Elizabeth Clofer (1602-1678), a Puritan emigrant to the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

In the 18th century, the Reverend Thomas Clofer (1723-1798) was a prominent clergyman and author from Lincolnshire, known for his works on religious philosophy. Another notable figure was Sir Robert Clofer (1745-1821), a Member of Parliament for Derby and a vocal supporter of the abolition of the slave trade.

Moving into the 19th century, the CLOFER surname continued to be associated with notable individuals, such as the writer and journalist Sarah Clofer (1812-1884) and the industrialist John Clofer (1838-1912), who founded the Clofer Manufacturing Company in Birmingham.

Throughout its history, the CLOFER surname has maintained a strong presence in the Midlands region of England, particularly in Derbyshire and Staffordshire, where it originated. While the name has spread to other parts of the world through migration, its roots can be traced back to the rolling hills and cloven paths of these historic counties.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Clofer

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

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 Clofer 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.

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

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

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