NameCensus.

UK surname

Clemson

From a location near Paris known for its abundant supply of surrounding meadows.

In the 1881 census there were 428 people recorded with the Clemson surname, ranking it #7,587 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 680, ranked #7,884, down from #7,587 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Lilleshall and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wolverhampton, Stafford and South Derbyshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Clemson is 718 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 58.9%.

1881 census count

428

Ranked #7,587

Modern count

680

2016, ranked #7,884

Peak year

2010

718 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Clemson had 428 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,587 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 680 in 2016, ranked #7,884.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 597 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Clemson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Clemson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Clemson 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 316 #7,323
1861 historical 260 #9,516
1881 historical 428 #7,587
1891 historical 458 #7,974
1901 historical 564 #7,397
1911 historical 597 #6,867
1997 modern 639 #7,763
1998 modern 704 #7,445
1999 modern 707 #7,457
2000 modern 715 #7,383
2001 modern 702 #7,351
2002 modern 699 #7,522
2003 modern 696 #7,416
2004 modern 686 #7,517
2005 modern 698 #7,369
2006 modern 696 #7,386
2007 modern 685 #7,561
2008 modern 688 #7,586
2009 modern 704 #7,608
2010 modern 718 #7,631
2011 modern 700 #7,696
2012 modern 688 #7,699
2013 modern 690 #7,817
2014 modern 694 #7,826
2015 modern 688 #7,828
2016 modern 680 #7,884

Geography

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Where Clemsons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Lilleshall, London parishes and Blackburn. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wolverhampton, Stafford, South Derbyshire, Telford and Wrekin and Bath and North East Somerset. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Lilleshall Shropshire
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 Blackburn Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wolverhampton 001 Wolverhampton
2 Stafford 008 Stafford
3 South Derbyshire 009 South Derbyshire
4 Telford and Wrekin 021 Telford and Wrekin
5 Bath and North East Somerset 022 Bath and North East Somerset

Forenames

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First names often paired with Clemson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Clemson

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Clemson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Clemson 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 is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Clemson 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

Clemson is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Clemson 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 Clemson is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Clemson

The surname Clemson has its origins in England, where it first emerged around the 13th century. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from the place name Clemenson, which was once a small village or hamlet located in the county of Yorkshire. The name Clemenson is thought to have originated from the Old English words "cleme," meaning "mud" or "clay," and "tun," meaning a farm or settlement.

Some of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Clemson can be found in medieval records and documents. For example, the name appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1301, where a Robert de Clemenson is mentioned. This suggests that the Clemson family had already established itself in the region by the early 14th century.

Another notable early reference to the name Clemson can be found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, which lists a John Clemenson among the taxpayers. This record provides evidence of the surname's continued presence in the area during the late Middle Ages.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Clemson began to spread beyond its original Yorkshire stronghold. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this name was William Clemson, who was born in Leicestershire in 1568. He went on to become a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of London.

In the 18th century, the Clemson surname gained further recognition with the birth of John Clemson (1728-1805), a renowned English architect and surveyor. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings in London, including the Church of St. Mary Aldermary and the Goldsmith's Hall.

Another notable figure from this period was Thomas Clemson (1772-1845), a successful businessman and philanthropist from Lancashire. He amassed a considerable fortune through his textile manufacturing ventures and later endowed the establishment of Clemson University in South Carolina, which bears his name.

In the 19th century, one of the most prominent individuals with the Clemson surname was Elizabeth Clemson (1826-1912), a British author and social reformer. She wrote several influential works on women's rights and education, and was a leading figure in the early suffragette movement.

Throughout its history, the Clemson surname has also been associated with various places and locations. For example, the village of Clemson in Oxfordshire is believed to have been named after an early holder of the surname, as was the town of Clemson in South Carolina, which was founded in the late 19th century and named in honor of Thomas Clemson, the university's benefactor.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Clemson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Clemson 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. Staffordshire leads with 89 Clemsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.32x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 89 6.32x
Shropshire 66 18.30x
Warwickshire 59 5.60x
Lancashire 49 0.99x
Middlesex 45 1.08x
Berkshire 27 8.62x
Surrey 21 1.03x
Oxfordshire 15 5.82x
Worcestershire 14 2.57x
Yorkshire 11 0.27x
Derbyshire 9 1.38x
Montgomeryshire 8 8.36x
Kent 4 0.28x
Cheshire 3 0.33x
Denbighshire 2 1.27x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.38x
Dorset 1 0.37x
Essex 1 0.12x
Glamorgan 1 0.14x
Leicestershire 1 0.22x
Northamptonshire 1 0.25x

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 37 Clemsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.54x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 37 10.54x
West Bromwich 36 44.62x
Lilleshall 21 381.13x
Reading St Giles 14 45.53x
Wrockwardine 14 176.54x
Lambeth 12 3.30x
Oxford St Thomas 11 91.44x
Oswestry Rural 10 180.83x
Golborne 9 139.32x
Great Bolton 9 13.72x
Sedgley 9 17.20x
Wolverhampton 9 8.31x
Wombridge 9 202.25x
Aston 8 2.76x
Islington London 8 1.98x
St Clement Danes London 8 92.59x
St Luke London 8 11.95x
Cheetham 7 18.94x
Dudley 7 10.56x
Harborne 7 15.50x
Newington 7 4.54x
Pemberton 7 35.44x
Leeds 6 2.57x
Marcham 6 535.71x
Church Gresley 5 48.08x
Cumnor 5 347.22x
Deythur 5 793.65x
Drayton Bassett 5 781.25x
Hammersmith London 5 4.86x
Nether Whitacre 5 595.24x
Newcastle Under Lyme 5 20.05x
Ruyton Of Eleven Towns 5 314.47x
Withington 5 31.33x
Yardley 5 35.84x
Bromley London 4 4.35x
Clerkenwell London 4 4.06x
Hackney London 4 1.71x
Lower Penn 4 833.33x
Oxford St Ebbe 4 52.70x
Wilnecote 4 132.45x
Birkenhead 3 4.08x
Burntwood Edial 3 33.33x
Carreghofa 3 410.96x
Crumpsall 3 25.68x
Derby St Werburgh 3 7.95x
Leek Wootten 3 517.24x
North Meols 3 6.19x
Quatt Jervis 3 1034.48x
Upper Penn 3 84.99x
Woolwich 3 5.70x
Camberwell 2 0.75x
Chirk 2 64.31x
Doncaster 2 6.62x
High Offley 2 172.41x
Tettenhall 2 23.20x
Willenhall 2 7.58x
Atherstone 1 18.59x
Baschurch 1 40.49x
Bilston 1 3.66x
Birkdale 1 7.98x
Burnaston 1 400.00x
Cardiff St Mary 1 2.50x
Chelsea London 1 0.79x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 1.27x
Curdworth 1 104.17x
Heaton 1 22.52x
Holbeck 1 3.65x
Kings Norton 1 2.05x
Manchester 1 0.45x
Northfield 1 9.67x
Oswaldtwistle 1 5.71x
Pattingham 1 169.49x
Ramsgate 1 4.30x
Shenfield 1 46.73x
St Andrew Holborn London 1 5.53x
St Andrewthe Less 1 3.31x
Stirchley 1 270.27x
Tottenham 1 1.50x
Westbury 1 53.76x
Westrill 1 3333.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 31
Mary 22
Elizabeth 15
Ann 8
Eliza 8
Emma 8
Annie 6
Emily 6
Hannah 6
Kate 6
Alice 4
Amy 4
Florence 4
Jane 4
Amelia 3
Catherine 3
Ellen 3
Julia 3
Louisa 3
Margaret 3
Maria 3
Rachel 3
Ada 2
Agnes 2
Caroline 2
Clara 2
Edith 2
Fanny 2
Harriet 2
Lucy 2
Marion 2
Martha 2
Maude 2
Rosa 2
Rosina 2
Sophia 2
Blanch 1
Charlotte 1
Dorcas 1
Elizth. 1
Elzth. 1
Eunice 1
Frances 1
Grace 1
Isabella 1
Lily 1
Lois 1
Lottie 1
Margeret 1
Thurza 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 38
John 24
James 18
Thomas 14
George 13
Charles 10
Joseph 8
Edward 7
Henry 7
Richard 6
Samuel 4
Albert 3
Alfred 3
Benjamin 3
Frank 3
Frederick 3
Harry 3
Robert 3
Walter 3
Andrew 2
Benjn. 2
Daniel 2
David 2
Francis 2
Jonah 2
Julius 2
Allen 1
Arth. 1
Arthur 1
Chas.Wm. 1
Edmund 1
Ellen 1
F.J. 1
Frances 1
Fred 1
Fredk.W. 1
Herbert 1
Isaac 1
Jacob 1
Jas.Wm. 1
Johnson 1
Leonard 1
Major 1
Peter 1
Richards 1
Richd. 1
Sidney 1
W. 1
Willie 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Clemson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Clemson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 428 people were recorded with the Clemson surname. That placed it at #7,587 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Clemson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 680 in 2016. That gives Clemson a modern rank of #7,884.

What does the Clemson surname mean?

From a location near Paris known for its abundant supply of surrounding meadows.

What does the Clemson map show?

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