2000
#1,398
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 23,233
First available Census row
Per 100,000 8.61
Uncommon Last name
Clement
A surname derived from the Latin "clemens," meaning mild, merciful, or gentle.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 26,144 Americans carry the last name Clement. That puts it at #1,533 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 7.63 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 13,110 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Clement surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Clement with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
26K
1 in 13,110
Census rank
#1,533
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
7.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
23K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 22,799 bearers of the surname Clement in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 7.63 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1533rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Clement, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.6%. The next largest groups are Black (12.0%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Clement
The surname Clement has its origins in England, dating back to the 11th century. It is derived from the Latin word "clemens," meaning "mild" or "merciful." The name was likely first used as a nickname for someone with a gentle or compassionate disposition.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of lands and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The Domesday Book mentions a landowner named Clement in Gloucestershire.
In the 12th century, the name Clement appeared in various historical records, such as the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire, which documented a Clemens de Areci in 1166. The spelling variations at that time included Clements, Clemence, and Clementson.
The surname Clement is also associated with several place names in England, such as Clementhorpe in Yorkshire and Clements Inn in London. These places likely derived their names from individuals bearing the surname Clement who lived or owned property there.
Notable individuals with the surname Clement throughout history include:
1. Jacques Clement (c. 1567-1589), a French Roman Catholic monk who assassinated King Henry III of France in 1589.
2. Sir Clement Edmondes (1567-1622), an English diplomat and Secretary of State during the reign of King James I.
3. John Clement (1594-1572), an English landowner and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire in the 16th century.
4. René Clement (1913-1996), a French film director and screenwriter known for films such as "Forbidden Games" and "Purple Noon."
5. Ray Clement (1922-2008), an American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the Hooters restaurant chain.
Throughout its history, the surname Clement has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including royalty, politicians, artists, and entrepreneurs. Its enduring presence reflects the rich cultural heritage and diversity associated with this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Clement
Among Census respondents with the surname Clement, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.6%. The next largest groups are Black (12.0%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Clement bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Clement surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White77.6% · 17,683
- Black or African American12.0% · 2,733
- Two or more races3.9% · 895
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 886
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 430
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 172
Timeline
Historical Census data for Clement
Clement appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#1,505
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 23,830
+597 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 8.08
Rank movement Down 107 places
2020
#1,533
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,799
-1,031 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 7.63
Rank movement Down 28 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,398 | 23,233 | 8.61 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,505 | 23,830 | 8.08 | +597 bearers (+2.6%) | Down 107 places |
| 2020 | #1,533 | 22,799 | 7.63 | -1,031 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 28 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Clement surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,505 | #1,533 | -1.9% |
| Count | 23,830 | 22,799 | -4.3% |
| Per 100K | 8.08 | 7.63 | -5.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Clement bearers went from 23,830 to 22,799 (-4.3% change). The surname moved down 28 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,505 to #1,533.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Clement
FAQ
Clement surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Clement?
Name Census estimates that about 26,144 living Americans carry the surname Clement. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 13,110 residents.
How common is Clement?
Clement ranks #1,533 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 7.63 per 100,000 residents, which is about 8 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 22,799 people with the surname Clement. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (26,144), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 7.63 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 7.63 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 8 of them to have the surname Clement.
Has Clement become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Clement went from 23,830 recorded bearers to 22,799. That is a decrease of 1,031 (-4.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,505 to #1,533.
What does the Census say about the background of Clement?
Among Census respondents with the surname Clement, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.6%. The next largest groups are Black (12.0%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Clement in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.6% (17,683 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Clement appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (77.6%), Black (12.0%), Two or More Races (3.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Clement (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Clement mean?
A surname derived from the Latin "clemens," meaning mild, merciful, or gentle. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Clement (7.63 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Clement?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.