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

Clow, 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 Clow surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Clow in America

Clow is the 11448th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Clow surname appeared 2,751 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Clow.

We can also compare 2010 data for Clow 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 Clow

The surname Clow is believed to have originated in England, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the late 13th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old English word "cloh," which referred to a ravine or narrow valley, suggesting that the name may have been initially used to identify someone who lived near such a geographical feature.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Clow surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1279, where it appears as "de Clowe." This spelling variation suggests a connection to a specific place name, possibly a locality known as Clowe at the time.

In the 14th century, the name appears in various records, including the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire from 1317, where it is spelled as "del Cloughe." This spelling further reinforces the potential link to the Old English word "cloh," as "cloughe" was a common Middle English variant.

The Clow surname also appears in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, where it is recorded as "Clowe." This record provides evidence of the name's continued use and presence in the region during this period.

Notable individuals bearing the Clow surname include:

1. John Clow (c. 1510 - c. 1580), an English landowner and farmer from Buckinghamshire.
2. William Clow (1622 - 1688), a merchant and member of the Virginia House of Burgesses in the colonial era.
3. Margaret Clow (1733 - 1811), a Scottish writer and poet known for her works on Scottish history and folklore.
4. Thomas Clow (1789 - 1862), an English architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London.
5. Charles Clow (1855 - 1924), an American inventor and engineer who patented several innovations in plumbing and sanitation systems.

While the Clow surname has likely evolved and spread across various regions over the centuries, its roots can be traced back to England, where it originated as a locational name reflecting the unique geographical features of the areas where its earliest bearers resided.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Clow

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

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

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

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