2000
#13,291
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.78
Rare Last name
Clower
An English occupational surname referring to a person who made or sold nails or worked with a nail-like tool.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,276 Americans carry the last name Clower. That puts it at #14,460 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.66 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 150,595 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Clower 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 Clower with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 150,595
Census rank
#14,460
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,985 bearers of the surname Clower in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.66 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14460th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Clower, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.6%. The next largest groups are Black (7.2%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Clower
The surname Clower has its roots in England, originating in the late 13th or early 14th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "claver," which means clover, a type of plant. This suggests that the name may have initially been given to someone who lived near a clover field or worked with clover in some capacity.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Clower can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex, dating back to 1296. This document lists a Robert Clower among the residents of the county. Additionally, the Hundred Rolls of 1273 mention a William Clovere, which is likely an earlier spelling variation of the same surname.
In the 15th century, the Clower surname appeared in various historical records across different parts of England. For instance, the Patent Rolls of 1443 mention a John Clower from Hertfordshire, while the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1488 refers to a John Clower from that county.
One notable individual with the Clower surname was Henry Clower, who lived in the late 16th century. Born around 1560, he was a prominent merchant and landowner in Somerset. Records show that he acquired significant wealth and owned properties in various parts of the county.
Another historical figure bearing this surname was William Clower, born in 1634 in Gloucestershire. He was a renowned scholar and educator who served as the headmaster of the prestigious King's School in Worcester from 1668 until his death in 1712.
In the 18th century, a man named John Clower (1712-1784) gained recognition as a skilled clockmaker and watchmaker in London. His timepieces were highly sought after by the wealthy and influential members of society during that era.
The 19th century saw the emergence of Francis Clower (1810-1892), a prominent architect from Oxfordshire. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings, including churches and country estates, throughout the English countryside.
Finally, one cannot overlook the contributions of Charles Clower (1865-1937), a renowned botanist and horticulturist from Warwickshire. He dedicated his life to the study and cultivation of various plant species, publishing several influential works on the subject.
While the Clower surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, carried by those who emigrated from the British Isles over the centuries. However, the earliest and most significant historical references to this name can be found within the boundaries of England, where it originated and flourished.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Clower
Among Census respondents with the surname Clower, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.6%. The next largest groups are Black (7.2%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Clower 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 Clower surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.6% · 1,680
- Black or African American7.2% · 143
- Two or more races3.8% · 76
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 61
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 13
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Clower
Clower 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
#14,096
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,132
+27 bearers (+1.3%)
Per 100,000 0.72
Rank movement Down 805 places
2020
#14,460
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,985
-147 bearers (-6.9%)
Per 100,000 0.66
Rank movement Down 364 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,291 | 2,105 | 0.78 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,096 | 2,132 | 0.72 | +27 bearers (+1.3%) | Down 805 places |
| 2020 | #14,460 | 1,985 | 0.66 | -147 bearers (-6.9%) | Down 364 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 Clower 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 | #14,096 | #14,460 | -2.6% |
| Count | 2,132 | 1,985 | -6.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.72 | 0.66 | -7.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Clower bearers went from 2,132 to 1,985 (-6.9% change). The surname moved down 364 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,096 to #14,460.
FAQ
Clower surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Clower?
Name Census estimates that about 2,276 living Americans carry the surname Clower. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 150,595 residents.
How common is Clower?
Clower ranks #14,460 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.66 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 1,985 people with the surname Clower. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,276), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.66 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.66 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 Clower.
Has Clower become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Clower went from 2,132 recorded bearers to 1,985. That is a decrease of 147 (-6.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,096 to #14,460.
What does the Census say about the background of Clower?
Among Census respondents with the surname Clower, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.6%. The next largest groups are Black (7.2%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Clower in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.6% (1,680 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Clower appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.6%), Black (7.2%), Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Clower (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 Clower mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a person who made or sold nails or worked with a nail-like tool. 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 Clower (0.66 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 Americans have the surname Clower?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.