2000
#9,323
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,210
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.19
Rare Last name
Cluff
A topographic surname derived from the Old English word "cloh," meaning a steep hill or cliff.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,035 Americans carry the last name Cluff. That puts it at #8,926 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.18 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 84,945 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cluff 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 Cluff with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.0K
1 in 84,945
Census rank
#8,926
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,519 bearers of the surname Cluff in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.18 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8926th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cluff, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Black (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cluff
The surname Cluff originated in England, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "clif" or "clif-hus," which means a cliff or a house on a cliff. This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived near or on a cliff.
According to historical records, the Cluff surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire in northern England. Some of the earliest known bearers of the name include Robert de Cluffe, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1297, and William Cluffe, listed in the Hundred Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1273.
The Cluff name has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Cliffe, a village in North Yorkshire, and Cliffe Hill, a location near Selby in Yorkshire. These place names further reinforce the connection between the surname and the Old English word for cliff or elevated land.
One notable historical figure with the Cluff surname was Sir William Cluff, a 16th-century English merchant and explorer. He was born around 1550 and is known for his attempts to establish trade routes with Russia and the Arctic regions. Another prominent individual was John Cluff, born in 1633, who served as a judge and Member of Parliament for the borough of Southwark in the late 17th century.
In the 18th century, George Cluff, born in 1744, was a renowned English physician and author who published several works on medical topics. Samuel Cluff, born in 1779, was a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and was awarded the prestigious Naval General Service Medal.
Moving into the 19th century, Thomas Cluff, born in 1825, was a prominent Mormon leader and missionary who helped establish settlements in Utah and Idaho. He played a significant role in the early history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The Cluff surname has maintained a presence throughout various regions of England and has also been carried by individuals who have made notable contributions in various fields, including exploration, politics, medicine, and religion.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cluff
Among Census respondents with the surname Cluff, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Black (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Cluff 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 Cluff surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.3% · 3,143
- Hispanic or Latino4.8% · 168
- Black or African American2.6% · 92
- Two or more races2.2% · 78
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 31
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cluff
Cluff 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
#9,274
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,510
+300 bearers (+9.3%)
Per 100,000 1.19
Rank movement Up 49 places
2020
#8,926
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,519
+9 bearers (+0.3%)
Per 100,000 1.18
Rank movement Up 348 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,323 | 3,210 | 1.19 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,274 | 3,510 | 1.19 | +300 bearers (+9.3%) | Up 49 places |
| 2020 | #8,926 | 3,519 | 1.18 | +9 bearers (+0.3%) | Up 348 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 Cluff 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 | #9,274 | #8,926 | 3.8% |
| Count | 3,510 | 3,519 | 0.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.19 | 1.18 | -1.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cluff bearers went from 3,510 to 3,519 (+0.3% change). The surname moved up 348 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,274 to #8,926.
FAQ
Cluff surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cluff?
Name Census estimates that about 4,035 living Americans carry the surname Cluff. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 84,945 residents.
How common is Cluff?
Cluff ranks #8,926 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.18 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 3,519 people with the surname Cluff. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,035), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.18 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.18 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 Cluff.
Has Cluff become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cluff went from 3,510 recorded bearers to 3,519. That is an increase of 9 (+0.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,274 to #8,926.
What does the Census say about the background of Cluff?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cluff, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Black (2.6%). 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 Cluff in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.3% (3,143 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cluff appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.3%), Hispanic (4.8%), Black (2.6%). 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 Cluff (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 Cluff mean?
A topographic surname derived from the Old English word "cloh," meaning a steep hill or cliff. 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 Cluff (1.18 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 share the surname Cluff?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.