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

Clown, 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 Clown surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Clown in America

Clown is the 153769th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Clown surname appeared 106 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Clown.

We can also compare 2010 data for Clown 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 Clown

The surname Clown is believed to have originated in England during the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "clune," which referred to a clumsy or awkward person. The name likely emerged as a descriptive nickname for someone with a clumsy or comical demeanor.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Clown can be found in the Hertfordshire Subsidy Rolls of 1307, which mentions a Thomas le Cloun. This suggests that the name was already in use in the early 14th century. The "le" prefix in the name indicates that it was originally a descriptive term used to identify an individual.

In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, there is a reference to a place called "Cluneslond" in Oxfordshire, which may be related to the surname Clown or its origins. This could indicate that the name was derived from a specific location or geographical feature associated with clumsiness or comical behavior.

During the 15th century, the surname Clown began to appear in various records across England. In 1437, a John Clowne was recorded in the Friar's Cartulary of Dunstable Priory in Bedfordshire. Similarly, a Robert Clown was mentioned in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire in 1490.

One notable bearer of the surname Clown was Sir John Clown (c. 1520-1592), a prominent English lawyer and member of the Privy Council during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He served as the Speaker of the House of Commons and played a significant role in the legal and political affairs of his time.

Another individual with the surname Clown was William Clown (c. 1565-1626), an English clergyman and author. He served as the rector of several parishes and published works on theology and religious subjects.

In the 17th century, the surname Clown continued to be found in various records and documents. For example, a Thomas Clown was mentioned in the Hearth Tax Rolls of Buckinghamshire in 1673, and a John Clown was recorded in the Parish Registers of St. Mary's Church in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, in 1692.

By the 18th and 19th centuries, the surname Clown had become more widespread across England and other parts of the British Isles. Notable bearers during this period included James Clown (1745-1823), a Scottish poet and writer, and Robert Clown (1789-1861), an English agricultural writer and advocate for rural reform.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Clown

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!