2000
#11,605
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,481
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.92
Rare Last name
Clowers
A surname derived from the Old English word "claue," meaning a ravine or narrow valley.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,812 Americans carry the last name Clowers. That puts it at #12,133 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.82 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 121,890 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Clowers 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.
Bearers in the US
2.8K
1 in 121,890
Census rank
#12,133
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,452 bearers of the surname Clowers in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.82 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12133rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Clowers, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.6%. The next largest groups are Black (24.1%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Clowers
The surname CLOWERS has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "clover," referring to the plant or perhaps an occupational name for someone who cultivated or traded in clover. Variations in spelling include Clowere, Clovere, and Clover.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name CLOWERS can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which mentions a Robert le Clover. The Hundred Rolls were administrative records compiled in England during the reign of King Edward I.
Another early reference to the name CLOWERS appears in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1332, which mention a John Clovere. The Pipe Rolls were financial records maintained by the Exchequer, providing valuable insights into the names and locations of individuals during that era.
In the 14th century, the CLOWERS surname was associated with the village of Clover in Derbyshire, suggesting a possible connection between the name and a place of origin. This village was also known as Clowere and Clovere in earlier records.
Notable individuals bearing the CLOWERS surname throughout history include:
1. Richard Clowers (c. 1510 - 1570), an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Shropshire during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
2. Elizabeth Clowers (1550 - 1612), an English poet and translator, known for her works on religious subjects.
3. William Clowers (1625 - 1691), a prominent merchant and ship owner in Bristol, England, who played a significant role in the city's trade with the American colonies.
4. John Clowers (1755 - 1823), a British military officer who served in the American Revolutionary War and later became a Member of Parliament for Hampshire.
5. Margaret Clowers (1820 - 1892), an English philanthropist and social reformer, known for her efforts in improving working conditions for women and children in factories.
While the CLOWERS surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and colonization. However, the focus of this report remains on the historical origins and early records associated with this surname in its country of origin.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Clowers
Among Census respondents with the surname Clowers, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.6%. The next largest groups are Black (24.1%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Clowers 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 Clowers surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White68.6% · 1,682
- Black or African American24.1% · 591
- Two or more races3.9% · 96
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 65
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Clowers
Clowers 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
#12,186
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,557
+76 bearers (+3.1%)
Per 100,000 0.87
Rank movement Down 581 places
2020
#12,133
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,452
-105 bearers (-4.1%)
Per 100,000 0.82
Rank movement Up 53 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,605 | 2,481 | 0.92 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,186 | 2,557 | 0.87 | +76 bearers (+3.1%) | Down 581 places |
| 2020 | #12,133 | 2,452 | 0.82 | -105 bearers (-4.1%) | Up 53 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 Clowers 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 | #12,186 | #12,133 | 0.4% |
| Count | 2,557 | 2,452 | -4.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.87 | 0.82 | -5.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Clowers bearers went from 2,557 to 2,452 (-4.1% change). The surname moved up 53 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,186 to #12,133.
FAQ
Clowers surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Clowers?
Name Census estimates that about 2,812 living Americans carry the surname Clowers. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 121,890 residents.
How common is Clowers?
Clowers ranks #12,133 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.82 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 2,452 people with the surname Clowers. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,812), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.82 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.82 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 Clowers.
Has Clowers become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Clowers went from 2,557 recorded bearers to 2,452. That is a decrease of 105 (-4.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,186 to #12,133.
What does the Census say about the background of Clowers?
Among Census respondents with the surname Clowers, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.6%. The next largest groups are Black (24.1%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Clowers in the 2020 Census, accounting for 68.6% (1,682 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Clowers appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (68.6%), Black (24.1%), Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Clowers (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 Clowers mean?
A surname derived from the Old English word "claue," meaning a ravine or narrow valley. 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 Clowers (0.82 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 common is the surname Clowers?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Clowers on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.