NameCensus.

UK surname

Clowes

A surname possibly referring to someone from the village of Clows or Clowes in Staffordshire.

In the 1881 census there were 1,667 people recorded with the Clowes surname, ranking it #2,580 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,719, ranked #2,473, up from #2,580 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolstanton, Leek and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Staffordshire Moorlands.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Clowes is 2,928 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 63.1%.

1881 census count

1,667

Ranked #2,580

Modern count

2,719

2016, ranked #2,473

Peak year

1998

2,928 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Clowes had 1,667 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,580 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,719 in 2016, ranked #2,473.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,635 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Clowes surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Clowes surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Clowes 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 971 #2,872
1861 historical 931 #2,981
1881 historical 1,667 #2,580
1891 historical 1,929 #2,389
1901 historical 2,337 #2,323
1911 historical 2,635 #1,954
1997 modern 2,386 #2,624
1998 modern 2,928 #2,301
1999 modern 2,899 #2,335
2000 modern 2,902 #2,321
2001 modern 2,851 #2,305
2002 modern 2,881 #2,332
2003 modern 2,808 #2,340
2004 modern 2,822 #2,337
2005 modern 2,774 #2,346
2006 modern 2,733 #2,371
2007 modern 2,747 #2,385
2008 modern 2,738 #2,405
2009 modern 2,784 #2,420
2010 modern 2,822 #2,434
2011 modern 2,777 #2,436
2012 modern 2,700 #2,458
2013 modern 2,730 #2,474
2014 modern 2,773 #2,462
2015 modern 2,739 #2,468
2016 modern 2,719 #2,473

Geography

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Where Clowes' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolstanton, Leek, Manchester, Stoke-on-Trent, Bucknell-cum-Bagnall, Caverswall 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 Staffordshire Moorlands. 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 Wolstanton Staffordshire
2 Leek Staffordshire
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Stoke-on-Trent, Bucknell-cum-Bagnall, Caverswall Staffordshire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Staffordshire Moorlands 006 Staffordshire Moorlands
2 Staffordshire Moorlands 005 Staffordshire Moorlands
3 Staffordshire Moorlands 010 Staffordshire Moorlands
4 Staffordshire Moorlands 001 Staffordshire Moorlands
5 Staffordshire Moorlands 007 Staffordshire Moorlands

Forenames

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First names often paired with Clowes

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Clowes

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Clowes, 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 Clowes surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Clowes 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Clowes 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

Clowes 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

Clowes 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 Clowes 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 Clowes, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Clowes

The surname CLOWES is an English name that originated in the northwestern counties of England, particularly Lancashire and Cheshire, during the medieval era. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "cloh," meaning a valley or ravine, with the suffix "-es" denoting a place or location. Thus, CLOWES likely referred to someone who resided in or near a valley or ravine.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name CLOWES can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lancashire from 1176, where a person named Richard de Clohes is mentioned. This suggests that the name was in use by the late 12th century. The spelling variations during this time included Clohes, Cloughes, and Clowghes, reflecting the regional dialects and pronunciation.

The CLOWES surname is also present in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and population conducted in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. This record includes references to places with similar names, such as Cloughton in Yorkshire and Clowworth in Northamptonshire, further indicating the longstanding presence of the name in various regions of England.

Notable individuals bearing the surname CLOWES throughout history include:

1. William Clowes (1540-1604), a Jesuit priest and one of the most famous members of the Gunpowder Plot to assassinate King James I of England. 2. Samuel Clowes (1676-1736), an English Quaker preacher and writer, known for his religious works and advocacy for Quakerism. 3. John Clowes (1743-1831), a British engraver and printer, renowned for his contributions to the printing industry and his work on the printing press. 4. William Clowes (1779-1847), a British publisher and printer, who established the prominent printing company William Clowes and Sons. 5. John Clowes (1777-1846), a British Swedenborgian minister and writer, who helped establish the New Church movement based on the teachings of Emanuel Swedenborg.

The CLOWES name has also been associated with various place names, such as Clowes Wood in Lancashire, Clowes Castle in Cheshire, and Clowes Park in Nottinghamshire, further reinforcing its historical roots in different regions of England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Clowes families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Clowes 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 499 Clowes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.10x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 499 9.10x
Cheshire 246 6.86x
Lancashire 241 1.25x
Warwickshire 99 2.42x
Leicestershire 90 5.00x
Middlesex 86 0.53x
Derbyshire 64 2.52x
Surrey 42 0.53x
Norfolk 37 1.48x
Suffolk 35 1.77x
Yorkshire 34 0.21x
Nottinghamshire 28 1.28x
Ayrshire 20 1.65x
Durham 20 0.41x
Kent 20 0.36x
Shropshire 17 1.21x
Worcestershire 16 0.75x
Hertfordshire 14 1.25x
Essex 11 0.34x
Gloucestershire 10 0.31x
Hampshire 9 0.27x
Somerset 7 0.27x
Glamorgan 6 0.21x
Devon 3 0.09x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.20x
Oxfordshire 2 0.20x
Sussex 2 0.07x
Westmorland 2 0.56x
Bedfordshire 1 0.12x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.23x
Monmouthshire 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. Stoke Upon Trent in Staffordshire leads with 115 Clowes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.78x.

Place Total Index
Stoke Upon Trent 115 19.78x
Ipstones 87 1104.06x
Leek Lowe 59 80.89x
Aston 50 4.43x
Macclesfield 47 29.49x
Cheddleton 41 357.14x
Monks Coppenhall 32 23.65x
Wolstanton 31 18.62x
Sandbach 26 85.02x
Burslem 25 15.92x
Kingsley 25 244.62x
Little Bolton 25 10.09x
Countesthorpe 24 390.88x
Birmingham 18 1.32x
Atherton 17 24.23x
Caverswall 17 59.65x
Gorton 17 9.38x
Kensington London 17 1.88x
Waterfall 17 735.93x
Biddulph 15 48.50x
Salford 15 2.65x
Failsworth 14 31.75x
Wolstanton Oldcott 14 70.49x
Chorlton On Medlock 13 4.25x
Clarborough 13 79.41x
Hulme 13 3.23x
Leicester St Mary 13 8.94x
Litchurch 13 12.70x
Bradford 12 13.30x
Churchover 12 666.67x
Clifton 12 82.99x
Elton In Congleton 12 392.16x
Halliwell 12 17.11x
Knutsford Nether 12 55.38x
Lambeth 12 0.85x
Liverpool 12 1.03x
Lymm 12 46.05x
Chorley In Macclesfield 11 100.73x
Congleton 11 17.76x
Islington London 11 0.70x
Leicester St Margaret 10 2.28x
St Pancras London 10 0.76x
Attleborough 9 71.37x
Brandon Byshottles 9 14.87x
Church Gresley 9 22.24x
Claylane 9 25.46x
Kimcote Knaptoft 9 362.90x
Kingston On Thames 9 4.73x
Sutton In Macclesfield 9 24.19x
Swithland 9 656.93x
Tibshelf 9 72.12x
Charlton Kings 8 36.30x
Great Yarmouth 8 3.87x
Hadnall 8 271.19x
Lancaster 8 6.98x
Manchester 8 0.92x
New Buckenham 8 258.06x
Sharples 8 38.28x
Altrincham 7 11.17x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 7 4.67x
Audley 7 12.90x
Bradwall 7 189.70x
Chew Stoke 7 180.88x
Gorleston 7 13.93x
Great Glenn 7 146.44x
Hackney London 7 0.77x
Harrow On The Hill 7 21.57x
Hartshorn 7 72.84x
Huddersfield 7 2.99x
Kings Norton 7 3.68x
Kirkmichael 7 63.18x
Poulton Cum Seacombe 7 16.97x
Spondon 7 71.50x
St George Martyr London 7 21.28x
Weston 7 472.97x
Yardley 7 12.90x
Blackley 6 17.76x
Northfleet 6 12.29x
Over 6 16.47x
Selston 6 24.54x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 104
Sarah 65
Elizabeth 63
Ann 50
Emma 37
Annie 27
Jane 27
Martha 27
Emily 26
Hannah 24
Alice 22
Ellen 22
Eliza 18
Margaret 16
Harriett 11
Maria 11
Ada 10
Charlotte 10
Harriet 10
Louisa 10
Agnes 9
Fanny 9
Caroline 8
Edith 8
Florence 8
Frances 7
Amelia 6
Gertrude 6
Betsey 5
Isabella 5
Kate 5
Lucy 5
Rose 5
Sophia 5
Bertha 4
Betsy 4
Catherine 4
Clara 4
Lydia 4
Mabel 4
Minnie 4
Selina 4
Elizth. 3
Ethel 3
Isabel 3
Jessie 3
Julia 3
Laura 3
Lilian 3
Olive 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 103
John 89
Thomas 60
James 52
George 45
Joseph 42
Henry 26
Samuel 25
Richard 24
Charles 23
Arthur 19
Robert 19
Edward 18
Alfred 13
Frederick 12
Albert 11
Harry 10
Daniel 9
Ernest 8
Francis 8
Herbert 8
Edwin 7
Wm. 7
Walter 6
David 5
Frank 5
Josiah 5
Leonard 5
Fredk. 4
Job 4
Peter 4
Thos. 4
Benjamin 3
Hiram 3
Isaac 3
Joshua 3
Rupert 3
Andrew 2
Badderley 2
Caleb 2
Elijah 2
Fred 2
Frederic 2
Jno. 2
Nathan 2
Ralph 2
Richd. 2
Samual 2
Tom 2
Winchester 2

FAQ

Clowes surname: questions and answers

How common was the Clowes surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,667 people were recorded with the Clowes surname. That placed it at #2,580 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Clowes surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,719 in 2016. That gives Clowes a modern rank of #2,473.

What does the Clowes surname mean?

A surname possibly referring to someone from the village of Clows or Clowes in Staffordshire.

What does the Clowes map show?

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