2000
#2,377
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,985
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.18
Uncommon Last name
Cloud
An English surname derived from the Old English word "clud," referring to a hill or a mass of rock.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 16,078 Americans carry the last name Cloud. That puts it at #2,506 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.69 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 21,318 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cloud 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 Cloud with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
16K
1 in 21,318
Census rank
#2,506
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
14K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 14,021 bearers of the surname Cloud in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.69 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2506th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cloud, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.6%. The next largest groups are Black (16.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (6.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cloud
The surname Cloud is of Anglo-Saxon origin, deriving from the Old English word 'clud' meaning a hill or a rock. The name first appeared in England during the 11th century, around the time of the Norman Conquest. It is believed to have originated in the county of Somerset, which was known for its rocky terrain and rolling hills.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Cloud can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and property holdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as 'Cludd', likely referring to someone who lived near a prominent hill or rock formation.
In the 13th century, the name Cloud was found in various records from the county of Somerset, such as the Assize Rolls of 1268, where a certain William Cloud is mentioned. During this period, the name was often spelled as 'Clud' or 'Clode', reflecting the local dialect and pronunciation.
As the centuries progressed, the spelling of the name evolved, eventually becoming standardized as 'Cloud'. One notable bearer of this surname was Sir John Cloud (1619-1696), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Somerset during the reign of Charles II.
Another significant figure was William Cloud (1776-1834), an American farmer and politician who served as a Representative from Virginia in the United States Congress from 1817 to 1821. He was also a veteran of the War of 1812.
In more recent history, the American singer and songwriter Judy Cloud (1935-2018) gained recognition for her contributions to the folk music scene. She was known for her powerful vocals and socially conscious lyrics.
The surname Cloud has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Cloudsley in Gloucestershire and Cloudshill in Hampshire, both of which likely derived their names from the local geography and the presence of prominent hills or rocky outcroppings.
While the surname Cloud may have originated from humble beginnings, referring to those who lived near notable hills or rocks, it has since grown to encompass a diverse range of individuals from various walks of life, each leaving their mark on history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cloud
Among Census respondents with the surname Cloud, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.6%. The next largest groups are Black (16.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (6.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Cloud 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 Cloud surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White65.6% · 9,195
- Black or African American16.7% · 2,340
- American Indian and Alaska Native6.5% · 911
- Two or more races6.4% · 897
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 581
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 97
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cloud
Cloud 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
#2,478
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,555
+570 bearers (+4.1%)
Per 100,000 4.93
Rank movement Down 101 places
2020
#2,506
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,021
-534 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 4.69
Rank movement Down 28 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,377 | 13,985 | 5.18 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,478 | 14,555 | 4.93 | +570 bearers (+4.1%) | Down 101 places |
| 2020 | #2,506 | 14,021 | 4.69 | -534 bearers (-3.7%) | 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 Cloud 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 | #2,478 | #2,506 | -1.1% |
| Count | 14,555 | 14,021 | -3.7% |
| Per 100K | 4.93 | 4.69 | -4.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cloud bearers went from 14,555 to 14,021 (-3.7% change). The surname moved down 28 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,478 to #2,506.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Cloud
FAQ
Cloud surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cloud?
Name Census estimates that about 16,078 living Americans carry the surname Cloud. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 21,318 residents.
How common is Cloud?
Cloud ranks #2,506 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.69 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 14,021 people with the surname Cloud. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (16,078), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.69 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.69 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Cloud.
Has Cloud become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cloud went from 14,555 recorded bearers to 14,021. That is a decrease of 534 (-3.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,478 to #2,506.
What does the Census say about the background of Cloud?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cloud, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.6%. The next largest groups are Black (16.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (6.5%). 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 Cloud in the 2020 Census, accounting for 65.6% (9,195 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cloud appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (65.6%), Black (16.7%), American Indian/Alaska Native (6.5%). 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 Cloud (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 Cloud mean?
An English surname derived from the Old English word "clud," referring to a hill or a mass of rock. 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 Cloud (4.69 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 Cloud?
See how many people are called Cloud on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.