2000
#112,967
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 144
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Cluts
A surname derived from a Scottish dialect word meaning "clot" or "clod".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Cluts. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cluts 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Cluts in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cluts, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%) and Two or More Races (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cluts
The surname Cluts has its origins in Germany, and it first emerged in the 13th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Old German word "kluts," which referred to a lump or clod of earth. It's possible that the name was originally a nickname for someone who lived near a clump of earth or had a robust, stocky build.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cluts appears in the Urkunden des Klosters Eberbach, a collection of documents from the Eberbach Monastery in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, dated around 1275. The name is spelled "Clutze" in these records.
In the 15th century, the name Cluts was found in various areas of Germany, including Bavaria and Saxony. During this time, the name was also spelled as "Klutz," "Klutze," and "Clutz," reflecting regional variations in pronunciation and spelling.
A notable early bearer of the name Cluts was Johann Cluts, a German theologian and author who lived from 1478 to 1546. He was a prominent figure in the Protestant Reformation and wrote several influential works on theology and religious reform.
Another historical figure with the surname Cluts was Hans Cluts, a German painter and engraver who lived in the 16th century. His works were primarily religious in nature, and he is known for his detailed engravings depicting biblical scenes.
In the 17th century, the Cluts name appeared in various regions of Germany, including Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate. During this period, the name was also found in some areas of Switzerland, likely due to migration.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Cluts name in Switzerland dates back to 1634, when a man named Matthias Cluts was mentioned in the records of the city of Basel.
In the 18th century, the Cluts surname was found in various parts of Germany and Switzerland, as well as in some areas of Austria and France. One notable bearer of the name during this time was Johann Georg Cluts, a German composer and organist who lived from 1705 to 1773.
Throughout the 19th century, the Cluts name continued to be present in various regions of Germany, Switzerland, and neighboring countries. One significant figure with this surname was Carl Friedrich Cluts, a German botanist and naturalist who lived from 1805 to 1877. He made significant contributions to the study of plant life and was known for his extensive botanical collections.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cluts
Among Census respondents with the surname Cluts, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%) and Two or More Races (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Cluts 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 Cluts surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.3% · 119
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cluts
Cluts 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
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-27 bearers (-18.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 29,141 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+4 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 799 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #112,967 | 144 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | -27 bearers (-18.8%) | Down 29,141 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.4%) | Up 799 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 Cluts 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 | #142,108 | #141,309 | 0.6% |
| Count | 117 | 121 | 3.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cluts bearers went from 117 to 121 (+3.4% change). The surname moved up 799 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #141,309.
FAQ
Cluts surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cluts?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Cluts. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Cluts?
Cluts ranks #141,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 121 people with the surname Cluts. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Cluts.
Has Cluts become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cluts went from 117 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 4 (+3.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #142,108 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Cluts?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cluts, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%) and Two or More Races (0.8%). 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 Cluts in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.3% (119 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cluts appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%), Two or More Races (0.8%). 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 Cluts (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 Cluts mean?
A surname derived from a Scottish dialect word meaning "clot" or "clod". 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 Cluts (0.04 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 have the last name Cluts?
Find out how many people have the surname Cluts on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.