NameCensus.

UK surname

Clawson

An English occupational surname derived from the Old Norse word "klaufi," meaning a clumsy person or a clown.

In the 1881 census there were 72 people recorded with the Clawson surname, ranking it #23,371 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 431, ranked #11,170, up from #23,371 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Larbert, Lincoln St Botolph and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rossendale, Newark and Sherwood and North Kesteven.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Clawson is 432 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 498.6%.

1881 census count

72

Ranked #23,371

Modern count

431

2016, ranked #11,170

Peak year

2015

432 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Clawson had 72 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,371 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 431 in 2016, ranked #11,170.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 158 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Clawson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Clawson surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Clawson 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 63 #22,069
1861 historical 64 #25,747
1881 historical 72 #23,371
1891 historical 111 #22,421
1901 historical 136 #19,110
1911 historical 158 #17,277
1997 modern 374 #11,574
1998 modern 379 #11,851
1999 modern 400 #11,439
2000 modern 402 #11,357
2001 modern 396 #11,307
2002 modern 382 #11,839
2003 modern 374 #11,828
2004 modern 373 #11,859
2005 modern 376 #11,730
2006 modern 376 #11,775
2007 modern 363 #12,255
2008 modern 356 #12,534
2009 modern 369 #12,447
2010 modern 387 #12,301
2011 modern 382 #12,272
2012 modern 403 #11,662
2013 modern 420 #11,489
2014 modern 418 #11,614
2015 modern 432 #11,183
2016 modern 431 #11,170

Geography

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Where Clawsons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Larbert, Lincoln St Botolph, London parishes, Boston (incl. Boston allotments) and Laughton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rossendale, Newark and Sherwood, North Kesteven, Forest Heath and Lincoln. 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 Larbert Stirling
2 Lincoln St Botolph Lincolnshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Boston (incl. Boston allotments) Lincolnshire
5 Laughton Lincolnshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rossendale 010 Rossendale
2 Newark and Sherwood 011 Newark and Sherwood
3 North Kesteven 010 North Kesteven
4 Forest Heath 001 Forest Heath
5 Lincoln 001 Lincoln

Forenames

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First names often paired with Clawson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Clawson

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Clawson, 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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Clawson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Clawson household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Clawson 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

Clawson is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Clawson falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Clawson 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 Clawson, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Clawson

The surname Clawson is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "clawu" meaning claw or talon, and "tun" meaning an enclosure or settlement. It is believed to have originated in the northern counties of England, particularly in Yorkshire and Lancashire, during the medieval period.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Clawson can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from the year 1297, where a certain William de Claweson is mentioned. This indicates that the name was already well-established in the region by the 13th century.

The name Clawson may have initially referred to a person who lived near a settlement known for its association with birds of prey or falconry. Alternatively, it could have been an occupational surname for someone who worked with claws or talons, such as a falconer or a tanner.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a village called "Clauueston" is listed in Nottinghamshire, which may have been an early spelling variation of the name Clawson. This suggests that the name may have also had some connection to a specific place or locality.

Notable individuals with the surname Clawson throughout history include:

1. John Clawson (c. 1600-1680), an English Puritan clergyman and author from Nottinghamshire. 2. Thomas Clawson (1679-1736), a British landowner and Member of Parliament for Peterborough. 3. Elizabeth Clawson (1758-1837), an American Quaker minister and abolitionist from Pennsylvania. 4. Sir Ralph Clawson (1826-1903), a British businessman and philanthropist who founded the Clawson Engineering Company. 5. Henry Clawson (1865-1947), an American politician who served as the 16th Governor of Utah.

While the surname Clawson has been present in various parts of England for centuries, it has also been carried by individuals who migrated to other parts of the world, including the United States and Canada, where it continues to be found today.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Clawson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Clawson 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. Lincolnshire leads with 35 Clawsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 32.06x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 35 32.06x
Surrey 13 3.91x
Stirlingshire 6 23.83x
Lanarkshire 5 2.26x
Dunbartonshire 3 16.35x
Cheshire 2 1.33x
Gloucestershire 2 1.49x
Devon 1 0.70x
Nottinghamshire 1 1.09x
Renfrewshire 1 1.89x
Yorkshire 1 0.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Welbourn in Lincolnshire leads with 12 Clawsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 9230.77x.

Place Total Index
Welbourn 12 9230.77x
Bermondsey 9 44.27x
St Peterat Gowts Lincoln 7 454.55x
Slamannan 6 434.78x
Boston 5 151.06x
Govan 5 9.16x
Laughton In Bourn 5 25000.00x
Newington 4 15.86x
Dumbarton 3 117.65x
Skellingthorpe 3 1764.71x
Cheadle 2 69.44x
Stapleton 2 78.74x
Erringden 1 227.27x
Greasley 1 48.08x
Metheringham 1 227.27x
Nocton 1 666.67x
Plymouth St Andrew 1 9.13x
Port Glasgow 1 39.06x
Saxelby With Ingleby 1 357.14x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 5
Ann 3
Elizabeth 2
Louisa 2
Sarah 2
Amelia 1
Annie 1
Betsy 1
Eliza 1
Ellen 1
Emma 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 5
William 5
Henry 3
Arthur 2
James 2
John 2
Thomas 2
Albt. 1
Alfred 1
Charles 1
Christopher 1
Drewry 1
Edward 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Geo. 1
Goodman 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Clawson households.

FAQ

Clawson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Clawson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 72 people were recorded with the Clawson surname. That placed it at #23,371 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Clawson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 431 in 2016. That gives Clawson a modern rank of #11,170.

What does the Clawson surname mean?

An English occupational surname derived from the Old Norse word "klaufi," meaning a clumsy person or a clown.

What does the Clawson map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Clawson 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.