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

Clough, 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 Clough surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Clough in America

Clough is the 3789th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Clough surname appeared 9,339 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Clough.

We can also compare 2010 data for Clough 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 Clough

The surname Clough is of English origin and is believed to have originated in the 13th century. It is a habitational name derived from the Old English word "cloh," meaning a ravine or valley. The name was likely given to someone who lived near a ravine or valley.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Clough can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "de Cloha." This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 11th century and was likely associated with a particular location or place name.

Throughout the medieval period, the name appeared in various records and manuscripts with different spellings, such as Cloughe, Clowghe, and Cluff. These variations reflect the regional dialects and spelling conventions of the time.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Sir Henry Clough, a knight who lived in the 14th century and was involved in the Hundred Years' War between England and France. Another notable figure was William Clough, a 16th-century English composer and organist who served at the Chapel Royal during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

In the 17th century, the name appeared in several place names, such as Clough Head in Lancashire and Clough Lees in Yorkshire. These place names likely derived from the original Old English word "cloh" and may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname.

Arthur Hugh Clough, an English poet and educator, was born in 1819 and is considered one of the most significant poets of the Victorian era. His works, including "The Bothie of Tober-na-Vuolich" and "Dipsychus," explored themes of doubt, religious skepticism, and social commentary.

Another notable bearer of the surname was Anne Clough, an English writer and feminist who lived in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. She published several works advocating for women's rights and education, including "Letters on the Improvement of the Mind" and "Memoirs of the Life of David Clough."

In the 20th century, Brian Clough (1935-2004) was a renowned English football player and manager. He led the Nottingham Forest team to success, winning the European Cup twice in 1979 and 1980, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest managers in the history of English football.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Clough

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

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

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

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