2000
#54,020
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 358
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.13
Very Rare Last name
Cloherty
An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Clochartaigh, meaning descendant of Clochartach (territory ruler).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 460 Americans carry the last name Cloherty. That puts it at #55,282 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 745,118 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cloherty 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 Cloherty with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
460
1 in 745,118
Census rank
#55,282
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
401
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 401 bearers of the surname Cloherty in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 55282nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cloherty, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cloherty
The surname Cloherty has its roots in Ireland, tracing back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the Irish Gaelic word "clochar," which means "stony place" or "place of stones." This suggests that the name may have been derived from a family that lived near a rocky or stony area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cloherty can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. The annals mention a "Cloherty" in the year 1595, indicating that the name was already established by that time.
The name Cloherty is predominantly associated with County Mayo in the western part of Ireland. It is believed that the original bearers of the name hailed from this region, which is known for its rugged landscapes and rocky terrain, further supporting the connection to the word "clochar."
In the 17th century, historical records mention a Cloherty family residing in the townland of Ballycroy, County Mayo. This area was known for its rich farmland and proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, suggesting that the Cloherty family may have been involved in agricultural or fishing activities.
Notable individuals throughout history who bore the surname Cloherty include:
1. Patrick Cloherty (1768-1842), an Irish merchant and landowner from County Mayo.
2. Michael Cloherty (1825-1901), an Irish-American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Cloherty Charitable Trust in Boston, Massachusetts.
3. Eileen Cloherty (1900-1985), an Irish-born American author and journalist known for her work on Irish cultural heritage.
4. John Cloherty (1926-2018), an American neonatologist and author of several influential textbooks on newborn care.
5. Brendan Cloherty (born 1958), an Irish hurler who played for the Galway senior hurling team in the 1980s.
While the surname Cloherty has its origins in Ireland, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to Irish migration and diaspora. However, its historical roots remain deeply embedded in the rocky landscapes and cultural heritage of County Mayo.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cloherty
Among Census respondents with the surname Cloherty, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Cloherty 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 Cloherty surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.5% · 375
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 12
- Two or more races2.7% · 11
- Black or African American0.5% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cloherty
Cloherty 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
#54,055
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 382
+24 bearers (+6.7%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Down 35 places
2020
#55,282
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 401
+19 bearers (+5.0%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Down 1,227 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #54,020 | 358 | 0.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #54,055 | 382 | 0.13 | +24 bearers (+6.7%) | Down 35 places |
| 2020 | #55,282 | 401 | 0.13 | +19 bearers (+5.0%) | Down 1,227 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 Cloherty 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 | #54,055 | #55,282 | -2.3% |
| Count | 382 | 401 | 5.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.13 | 0.13 | 3.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cloherty bearers went from 382 to 401 (+5.0% change). The surname moved down 1,227 positions in the national ranking, going from #54,055 to #55,282.
FAQ
Cloherty surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cloherty?
Name Census estimates that about 460 living Americans carry the surname Cloherty. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 745,118 residents.
How common is Cloherty?
Cloherty ranks #55,282 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.13 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 401 people with the surname Cloherty. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (460), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.13 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 Cloherty.
Has Cloherty become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cloherty went from 382 recorded bearers to 401. That is an increase of 19 (+5.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #54,055 to #55,282.
What does the Census say about the background of Cloherty?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cloherty, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Cloherty in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.5% (375 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cloherty appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.5%), Hispanic (3.0%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Cloherty (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 Cloherty mean?
An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Clochartaigh, meaning descendant of Clochartach (territory ruler). 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 Cloherty (0.13 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 people share the surname Cloherty?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.