2000
#11,476
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,517
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.93
Rare Last name
Clover
An English toponymic surname derived from the Old English word "clāfre," referring to someone who lived near a clover field.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,666 Americans carry the last name Clover. That puts it at #12,680 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.78 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 128,565 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Clover 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 Clover with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.7K
1 in 128,565
Census rank
#12,680
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,325 bearers of the surname Clover in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.78 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12680th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Clover, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.7%. The next largest groups are Black (7.9%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Clover
The surname Clover originated in England and is derived from the Old English word "clæfre," meaning clover. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a clover patch or worked with the plant in some capacity.
The earliest recorded use of the surname Clover dates back to the 13th century. One of the earliest known references can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which mentions a Richard le Clovere. The name was also recorded in various other medieval records, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where a John Clovere is listed.
During the Middle Ages, the surname Clover appeared in various spellings, including Clovere, Clover, and Clouwere, reflecting the variations in local dialects and scribal practices of the time. Some of these spelling variations were also influenced by place names, as people were often identified by the location they came from.
One notable individual with the surname Clover was Robert Clover, a 15th-century English clergyman and author. He was born in the late 14th century and served as the Bishop of Llandaff from 1436 until his death in 1447. Clover wrote several theological works, including a commentary on the Book of Psalms.
Another significant figure with this surname was Sir John Clover, a 16th-century English merchant and politician. Born in the late 15th century, he served as Sheriff of London in 1533 and was elected as a Member of Parliament for the City of London in 1547. Sir John Clover was also a prominent member of the Worshipful Company of Grocers.
In the 17th century, the surname Clover was also found in Scotland. One of the earliest recorded examples is Thomas Clover, a Scottish merchant who was born in Dundee around 1620. He later settled in London and became a successful trader, contributing to the development of Scottish commerce in England.
Another notable individual was Samuel Clover, an English writer and poet who lived in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Born in 1677, he is best known for his collection of poems titled "The Poetical Works of Samuel Clover," published in 1714.
Lastly, William Clover, an English botanist and horticulturist, made significant contributions to the study of plants in the 18th century. Born in 1701, he was a fellow of the Royal Society and published several works on horticulture, including "The Florist's Vade-Mecum" in 1750.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Clover
Among Census respondents with the surname Clover, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.7%. The next largest groups are Black (7.9%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Clover 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 Clover surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.7% · 1,900
- Black or African American7.9% · 184
- Two or more races4.4% · 103
- Hispanic or Latino4.4% · 102
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Clover
Clover 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
#12,307
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,526
+9 bearers (+0.4%)
Per 100,000 0.86
Rank movement Down 831 places
2020
#12,680
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,325
-201 bearers (-8.0%)
Per 100,000 0.78
Rank movement Down 373 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,476 | 2,517 | 0.93 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,307 | 2,526 | 0.86 | +9 bearers (+0.4%) | Down 831 places |
| 2020 | #12,680 | 2,325 | 0.78 | -201 bearers (-8.0%) | Down 373 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 Clover 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 | #12,307 | #12,680 | -3.0% |
| Count | 2,526 | 2,325 | -8.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.86 | 0.78 | -9.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Clover bearers went from 2,526 to 2,325 (-8.0% change). The surname moved down 373 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,307 to #12,680.
FAQ
Clover surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Clover?
Name Census estimates that about 2,666 living Americans carry the surname Clover. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 128,565 residents.
How common is Clover?
Clover ranks #12,680 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.78 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,325 people with the surname Clover. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,666), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.78 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.78 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Clover.
Has Clover become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Clover went from 2,526 recorded bearers to 2,325. That is a decrease of 201 (-8.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,307 to #12,680.
What does the Census say about the background of Clover?
Among Census respondents with the surname Clover, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.7%. The next largest groups are Black (7.9%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Clover in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.7% (1,900 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Clover appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.7%), Black (7.9%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Clover (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 Clover mean?
An English toponymic surname derived from the Old English word "clāfre," referring to someone who lived near a clover field. 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 Clover (0.78 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 have the last name Clover?
You can see how common the surname Clover is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.