Clydesdale last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Clydesdale

A habitational name referring to the valley of the River Clyde in Lanarkshire, Scotland.

Clydesdale, 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 Clydesdale surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Clydesdale in America

Clydesdale is the 91981st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Clydesdale surname appeared 200 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 Clydesdale.

We can also compare 2010 data for Clydesdale 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 91981 87348 5.17%
Count 200 198 1.01%
Proportion per 100k 0.07 0.07 0.00%

The history of the last name Clydesdale

The surname Clydesdale is a locational name that originates from Scotland. It is derived from the name of the valley of the River Clyde in Lanarkshire, Scotland. The name Clydesdale was originally used to refer to the region surrounding the River Clyde.

The earliest known record of the name Clydesdale dates back to the 12th century. It is mentioned in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which were a record of Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England during the Scottish Wars of Independence.

The name Clydesdale is closely associated with the breed of Scottish draft horses known as Clydesdales. These horses were bred in the Clydesdale region and were known for their strength and endurance, making them well-suited for heavy labor and agricultural work.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Clydesdale was Sir William Clydesdale, who lived in the 14th century. He was a Scottish nobleman and landowner in the Clydesdale region.

In the 16th century, the name Clydesdale appears in records relating to the Battle of Langside in 1568, which was a pivotal event in the Scottish Reformation. Several Clydesdale families are mentioned as having fought on both sides of the conflict.

Another notable individual with the surname Clydesdale was James Clydesdale, born in 1740. He was a Scottish merchant and businessman who played a significant role in the development of the tobacco trade between Scotland and the American colonies.

In the 19th century, the Clydesdale family made a mark in the field of agriculture and horse breeding. John Clydesdale, born in 1810, was a renowned breeder of Clydesdale horses and played a pivotal role in establishing the breed as a distinct and valuable breed for draft work.

The name Clydesdale has also been associated with the Scottish diaspora, as many Clydesdale families emigrated from Scotland to other parts of the world, particularly during the 19th and early 20th centuries. This led to the spread of the surname to countries such as the United States, Canada, and Australia.

Overall, the surname Clydesdale has a rich history that is deeply rooted in the Scottish landscape and the region's agricultural and equestrian traditions. It has been carried by individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields, from nobility and warfare to commerce and animal husbandry.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Clydesdale

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

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 Clydesdale was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 95.50% 191
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 0.00% 0
Hispanic Origin 2.50% 5

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 Clydesdale has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 95.50% 95.96% -0.48%
Black (S)% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% 0.00% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 0.00% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic 2.50% 2.53% -1.19%

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Clydesdale, 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!

"Clydesdale last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on May 3, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/clydesdale-surname-popularity/.

"Clydesdale last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/clydesdale-surname-popularity/. Accessed 3 May, 2025

Clydesdale last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/clydesdale-surname-popularity/.

Search for a name

Search for a first or last name to learn more about its origin, meaning, and more.

Simple as that.