NameCensus.

UK surname

Clarence

An English surname derived from the French town name Clarence.

In the 1881 census there were 116 people recorded with the Clarence surname, ranking it #18,126 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 203, ranked #19,396, down from #18,126 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to South Hanningfield, East Hanningfield, Runwell, Rettendon, Downham, Wickford, Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Amber Valley, County Durham and Wigan.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Clarence is 245 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 75.0%.

1881 census count

116

Ranked #18,126

Modern count

203

2016, ranked #19,396

Peak year

1911

245 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Clarence had 116 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,126 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 203 in 2016, ranked #19,396.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 245 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Clarence surname distribution map

The map shows where the Clarence surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Clarence surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Clarence over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 68 #21,302
1861 historical 103 #20,650
1881 historical 116 #18,126
1891 historical 132 #19,976
1901 historical 181 #16,107
1911 historical 245 #13,084
1997 modern 176 #19,091
1998 modern 190 #18,687
1999 modern 189 #18,862
2000 modern 196 #18,431
2001 modern 201 #17,885
2002 modern 201 #18,236
2003 modern 196 #18,358
2004 modern 202 #18,110
2005 modern 197 #18,339
2006 modern 196 #18,512
2007 modern 191 #19,031
2008 modern 196 #18,895
2009 modern 192 #19,527
2010 modern 202 #19,322
2011 modern 204 #19,040
2012 modern 206 #18,837
2013 modern 196 #19,790
2014 modern 209 #19,128
2015 modern 202 #19,433
2016 modern 203 #19,396

Geography

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Where Clarences are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around South Hanningfield, East Hanningfield, Runwell, Rettendon, Downham, Wickford, Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew, Manchester, Bywell St Peter, Bywell St Andrew (Stocksfield Hall), Ovingham (Ovington, Mickley, Prudhoe, Prudhoe and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Amber Valley, County Durham, Wigan, Bromsgrove and Derby. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 South Hanningfield, East Hanningfield, Runwell, Rettendon, Downham, Wickford Essex
2 Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew Sussex
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Bywell St Peter, Bywell St Andrew (Stocksfield Hall), Ovingham (Ovington, Mickley, Prudhoe, Prudhoe Northumberland
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Amber Valley 012 Amber Valley
2 County Durham 035 County Durham
3 Wigan 032 Wigan
4 Bromsgrove 009 Bromsgrove
5 Derby 006 Derby

Forenames

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First names often paired with Clarence

These lists show first names that appear often with the Clarence surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Clarence

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Clarence, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Clarence surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Clarence household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Clarence is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Clarence is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Clarence falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Clarence is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Clarence, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Clarence

The surname Clarence is an English surname derived from the French place name Clarentza, a former name for the town of Clarencia in the Peloponnese region of Greece. The name is believed to have originated during the Crusades, when English and French knights settled in the area.

The earliest known record of the surname Clarence dates back to the late 12th century, when it appeared in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire, England. In these records, a man named William de Clarencia was mentioned as a landowner.

One of the most notable historical figures with the surname Clarence was George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence, who lived from 1449 to 1478. He was the brother of King Edward IV of England and was executed for treason after being accused of plotting against his brother.

Another prominent individual with the surname Clarence was Sir John Clarence, an English soldier and statesman who lived from around 1370 to 1420. He served as the Governor of Aquitaine and played a significant role in the Hundred Years' War.

In the 16th century, a man named William Clarence was recorded as living in the village of Barrington, Gloucestershire. He was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of 1523, which were records of taxation.

The surname Clarence can also be traced back to the village of Clarendon, near Salisbury in Wiltshire, England. This place name is derived from the Old English words "clara" meaning "clear" and "dun" meaning "hill."

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname from this area was Roger de Clarendon, who was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Wiltshire in 1176. He was likely named after the village where he resided.

Other notable individuals with the surname Clarence throughout history include John Clarence, a 14th-century English knight who fought in the Battle of Crecy during the Hundred Years' War, and Richard Clarence, a 15th-century English clergyman who served as the Bishop of Salisbury from 1436 to 1450.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Clarence families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Clarence surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 28 Clarences recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.09x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 28 2.09x
Middlesex 17 1.50x
Warwickshire 15 5.26x
Surrey 14 2.54x
Northumberland 8 4.75x
Yorkshire 8 0.71x
Cheshire 5 2.00x
Staffordshire 5 1.31x
Sussex 5 2.62x
Essex 3 1.34x
Dorset 2 2.69x
Kent 2 0.52x
Norfolk 2 1.15x
Hampshire 1 0.43x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.66x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 15 Clarences recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.77x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 15 15.77x
Camberwell 6 8.30x
Great Bolton 6 33.75x
Little Bolton 6 34.76x
Marton 6 674.16x
Salford 5 12.66x
Lambeth 4 4.05x
Mickley 4 754.72x
Newton In Ashton Under 4 162.60x
Elswick 3 22.32x
Hammersmith London 3 10.76x
Hove 3 35.84x
Sculcoates 3 16.87x
Wolstanton 3 25.86x
Brighton 2 5.20x
Chardstock 2 392.16x
Deptford St Paul 2 6.72x
Harborne 2 16.34x
Islington London 2 1.82x
Leeds 2 3.16x
Putney 2 38.76x
Rotherham 2 31.65x
St George Bloomsbury 2 30.82x
Westminster St James 2 17.20x
Abram 1 97.09x
Chelmsford 1 26.11x
Chelsea London 1 2.93x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 4.69x
Croydon 1 3.27x
Great Yarmouth 1 6.94x
Heap 1 14.04x
Hingham 1 166.67x
Holy Trinity 1 3.71x
Kensington London 1 1.59x
Latchford 1 60.24x
Manchester 1 1.66x
Newington 1 2.39x
Nottingham St Mary 1 2.53x
Over Darwen 1 9.33x
Romsey Infra 1 126.58x
Sandhoe 1 1250.00x
South Hanningfield 1 1111.11x
St Bartholomew Less 1 172.41x
St Botolph Bishopsgate 1 62.50x
St George Hanover Square 1 5.02x
St George In East London 1 9.40x
Thaxted 1 135.14x
Towerof London London 1 277.78x
Westminster St Margaret 1 18.32x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Clarence surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Clarence surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Thomas 10
William 8
George 4
Alfred 3
Edward 3
Albert 2
Charles 2
Harry 2
John 2
Robert 2
Sydney 2
Alfd. 1
Arthur 1
Daniel 1
Ernest 1
F.R. 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Fredk.W. 1
Geo.Clem 1
Herbert 1
Lionel 1
Lloyd 1
Oliver 1
Owen 1
Robt.A. 1
Samuel 1
Tico 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Clarence surname: questions and answers

How common was the Clarence surname in 1881?

In 1881, 116 people were recorded with the Clarence surname. That placed it at #18,126 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Clarence surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 203 in 2016. That gives Clarence a modern rank of #19,396.

What does the Clarence surname mean?

An English surname derived from the French town name Clarence.

What does the Clarence map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Clarence bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.