2000
#1,320
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 24,523
First available Census row
Per 100,000 9.09
Uncommon Last name
Clifton
A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a cliff or ford.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 26,776 Americans carry the last name Clifton. That puts it at #1,493 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 7.81 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 12,801 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Clifton 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 Clifton with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
27K
1 in 12,801
Census rank
#1,493
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
7.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
23K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 23,350 bearers of the surname Clifton in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 7.81 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1493rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Clifton, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.6%. The next largest groups are Black (12.2%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Clifton
The surname Clifton originates from England and dates back to the late 11th century after the Norman Conquest. It is a habitation name derived from any of the several places named Clifton, such as those found in Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Cumbria, Derbyshire, Gloucestershire, Lancashire, Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Staffordshire, and Worcestershire. The name is derived from the Old English words "clif" meaning a cliff or steep slope, and "tun" meaning an enclosure or settlement.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Clifton can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Cliftone". This important record compiled by William the Conqueror provides valuable insights into the distribution of land and population in England at the time.
In the 13th century, the name appears in various records as "de Cliftone" and "de Clyfton", reflecting the Norman influence on English surnames. Some notable early bearers of the name include Walter de Clyfton, who was recorded in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1272, and Richard de Clyfton, mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Derbyshire in 1327.
During the 14th and 15th centuries, the surname Clifton became more widespread across England. One prominent figure from this period was Sir Gervase Clifton (c. 1330-1391), a knight and landowner from Nottinghamshire. Another notable individual was Sir William Clifton (c. 1480-1557), a Member of Parliament and High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire.
In the 16th century, the name Clifton appeared in various forms, including "Clyfton", "Clyffton", and "Clyfeton". One notable bearer was Sir Gervase Clifton (1516-1588), an English politician and landowner from Nottinghamshire. Another was George Clifton (c. 1558-1605), an English Jesuit priest and writer.
The 17th century saw the rise of several notable individuals with the surname Clifton. Sir William Clifton (1623-1670) was an English royalist and Member of Parliament from Nottinghamshire. Richard Clifton (1670-1749) was a prominent merchant and landowner in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and one of the founders of the city.
In the 18th century, the name Clifton continued to be well-represented, with individuals such as William Clifton (1700-1788), an English painter and engraver, and John Clifton (1768-1837), an English poet and playwright.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Clifton
Among Census respondents with the surname Clifton, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.6%. The next largest groups are Black (12.2%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Clifton 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 Clifton surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.6% · 18,354
- Black or African American12.2% · 2,852
- Two or more races4.4% · 1,034
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 815
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 168
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 127
Timeline
Historical Census data for Clifton
Clifton 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
#1,439
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 24,758
+235 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 8.39
Rank movement Down 119 places
2020
#1,493
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 23,350
-1,408 bearers (-5.7%)
Per 100,000 7.81
Rank movement Down 54 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,320 | 24,523 | 9.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,439 | 24,758 | 8.39 | +235 bearers (+1.0%) | Down 119 places |
| 2020 | #1,493 | 23,350 | 7.81 | -1,408 bearers (-5.7%) | Down 54 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 Clifton 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 | #1,439 | #1,493 | -3.8% |
| Count | 24,758 | 23,350 | -5.7% |
| Per 100K | 8.39 | 7.81 | -6.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Clifton bearers went from 24,758 to 23,350 (-5.7% change). The surname moved down 54 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,439 to #1,493.
FAQ
Clifton surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Clifton?
Name Census estimates that about 26,776 living Americans carry the surname Clifton. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 12,801 residents.
How common is Clifton?
Clifton ranks #1,493 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 7.81 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 23,350 people with the surname Clifton. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (26,776), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 7.81 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 7.81 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 Clifton.
Has Clifton become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Clifton went from 24,758 recorded bearers to 23,350. That is a decrease of 1,408 (-5.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,439 to #1,493.
What does the Census say about the background of Clifton?
Among Census respondents with the surname Clifton, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.6%. The next largest groups are Black (12.2%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Clifton in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.6% (18,354 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Clifton appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.6%), Black (12.2%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Clifton (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 Clifton mean?
A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a cliff or ford. 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 Clifton (7.81 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 people have the last name Clifton?
Find out how common the surname Clifton is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.