NameCensus.

UK surname

Clemow

A variant spelling of the English surname Clemo, derived from a diminutive form of the medieval name Clemence or Clement.

In the 1881 census there were 112 people recorded with the Clemow surname, ranking it #18,501 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 117, ranked #28,033, down from #18,501 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Padstow, London parishes and Gwennap. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Clemow is 148 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 4.5%.

1881 census count

112

Ranked #18,501

Modern count

117

2016, ranked #28,033

Peak year

1911

148 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Clemow had 112 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,501 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 117 in 2016, ranked #28,033.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 148 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Clemow surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Clemow surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Clemow 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 130 #14,314
1861 historical 111 #19,429
1881 historical 112 #18,501
1891 historical 112 #22,291
1901 historical 99 #22,999
1911 historical 148 #18,023
1997 modern 95 #27,638
1998 modern 112 #25,856
1999 modern 114 #25,766
2000 modern 112 #25,978
2001 modern 114 #25,344
2002 modern 121 #24,984
2003 modern 120 #24,909
2004 modern 123 #24,679
2005 modern 113 #25,974
2006 modern 114 #26,120
2007 modern 114 #26,491
2008 modern 105 #28,180
2009 modern 100 #29,597
2010 modern 108 #28,996
2011 modern 109 #28,653
2012 modern 118 #27,250
2013 modern 124 #26,842
2014 modern 119 #27,813
2015 modern 116 #28,151
2016 modern 117 #28,033

Geography

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Where Clemows are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Padstow, London parishes, Gwennap, St Austell and St Enoder. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall. 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 Padstow Cornwall
2 London parishes London 3
3 Gwennap Cornwall
4 St Austell Cornwall
5 St Enoder Cornwall

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 052 Cornwall
2 Cornwall 042 Cornwall
3 Cornwall 031 Cornwall
4 Cornwall 045 Cornwall
5 Cornwall 051 Cornwall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Clemow

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Clemow

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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Clemow is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Clemow is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

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

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Clemow falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Clemow is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Clemow

The surname Clemow is believed to have originated in England, specifically in the northern counties, during the medieval period. It is likely derived from an Old English or Anglo-Saxon personal name, such as Clemoc or Clemmoc, which may have been a combination of the elements "clem" meaning "famed" or "renowned" and "oc" meaning "young man" or "youth."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Clemmoc" in the county of Yorkshire. This suggests that the name was already established in northern England by the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066.

In the 13th century, there are records of a Thomas Clemow in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire, dated 1246. This indicates that the spelling had evolved closer to its modern form by that time. The name may have also been influenced by the Old French word "clameor," meaning "a claim" or "a demand," potentially suggesting a connection to legal or administrative roles.

During the 14th century, the surname appears in various records from the north of England, such as the Yorkshire Assize Rolls and the Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire. This suggests that the name was well-established in the region by this period.

One notable historical figure with the surname Clemow was Sir John Clemow (c. 1560-1628), an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Ripon in 1597 and 1601. Another was William Clemow (c. 1680-1758), a prominent merchant and landowner in Yorkshire, who served as Sheriff of York in 1721.

In the 18th century, the name can be found in various parish records and property deeds, particularly in the counties of Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Durham. This suggests that the name was still predominantly concentrated in the north of England during this period.

Other individuals of note include Thomas Clemow (1725-1792), a prominent bookseller and publisher in London, and John Clemow (1760-1827), a Church of England clergyman who served as Rector of Biddenden in Kent.

Throughout its history, the surname Clemow has also been recorded with various spellings, such as Clemmow, Clemmowe, and Cleymo, reflecting the variations in regional dialects and scribal practices of the time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Clemow families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Clemow 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. Cornwall leads with 82 Clemows recorded in 1881 and an index of 66.31x.

County Total Index
Cornwall 82 66.31x
Devon 16 7.04x
Middlesex 8 0.73x
Somerset 2 1.14x
Sussex 2 1.09x
Surrey 1 0.19x
Yorkshire 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Padstow in Cornwall leads with 15 Clemows recorded in 1881 and an index of 1829.27x.

Place Total Index
Padstow 15 1829.27x
St Just In Roseland 13 2407.41x
Falmouth 7 159.82x
Bideford 6 245.90x
Stoke Damerel 6 37.71x
St Merryn 5 2500.00x
Kenwyn 4 123.84x
Plymouth St Andrew 4 22.84x
St Austell 4 94.56x
St George Hanover Square 4 20.78x
St Mewan 4 1052.63x
St Stephen In Brannel 4 353.98x
Redruth 3 85.71x
Sithney 3 240.00x
St Enoder 3 714.29x
St Erme 3 1578.95x
Brighton 2 5.38x
Helston 2 155.04x
Hornsey 2 14.48x
Mabe 2 800.00x
St Martin In Fields 2 30.58x
Walcot 2 21.37x
Brotton 1 70.92x
Cardinham 1 909.09x
Constantine 1 138.89x
Croydon 1 3.39x
Kea 1 108.70x
Ladock 1 285.71x
Madron Penzance 1 22.22x
Perranzabuloe 1 93.46x
St Agnes 1 57.80x
St Columb Major 1 97.09x
St Issey 1 400.00x
Truro St Mary 1 96.15x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 9
John 7
Henry 5
James 4
Robert 3
Francis 2
Frederick 2
Joseph 2
Mark 2
Sidney 2
Walter 2
Adolphus 1
Arthur 1
Charles 1
Edmond 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Fredrick 1
George 1
Joel 1
Josiah 1
Key 1
Richd.Hy. 1
Rufus 1
Samuel 1
Thomas 1
Thos. 1

FAQ

Clemow surname: questions and answers

How common was the Clemow surname in 1881?

In 1881, 112 people were recorded with the Clemow surname. That placed it at #18,501 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Clemow surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 117 in 2016. That gives Clemow a modern rank of #28,033.

What does the Clemow surname mean?

A variant spelling of the English surname Clemo, derived from a diminutive form of the medieval name Clemence or Clement.

What does the Clemow map show?

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