Explore the Family Name Clear
The meaning of Clear
1. English (southeastern England, of Norman origin): from Clere, the French popular form of the personal name Clare 2, and possibly interchangeable with it or confused with it. 2. English (southeastern): probably a habitational name from clere, a component of several placenames in north Hampshire (Highclere, Burghclere, Kingsclere). This is probably from a Celtic stream name meaning ‘bright’ (cognate with Latin clarus ‘clear, bright’). 3. Americanized form (translation into English) of German Klar 1.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Clear in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname "Clear" saw a slight decline between 2000 and 2010. Its rank fell from 13,429 in 2000 to 13,572 in 2010, indicating a decrease of 1.06%. However, the count of individuals with the surname "Clear" increased by 7.46%, from 2,079 in 2000 to 2,234 in 2010. Despite this increase in absolute numbers, as a proportion of the population per 100,000, the occurrence of the surname remained relatively stable, decreasing slightly from 0.77 in 2000 to 0.76 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #13,429 | #13,572 | -1.06% |
| Count | 2,079 | 2,234 | 7.46% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.77 | 0.76 | -1.3% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Clear
In terms of ethnic identity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals notable changes for those bearing the surname "Clear". The percentage of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander significantly decreased by 48.84% from 0.43 in 2000 to 0.22 in 2010. Meanwhile, the representation of those identifying as two or more races grew by 11.90%. The majority of individuals with the surname identified as White, although this proportion moderately decreased from 85.14% in 2000 to 82.59% in 2010. The Hispanic and Black populations saw increases of 17.33% and 18.59% respectively. The American Indian and Alaskan Native group, though small in number, experienced a substantial growth of 104.17%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 85.14% | 82.59% | -3% |
| Black | 10.49% | 12.44% | 18.59% |
| Hispanic | 2.02% | 2.37% | 17.33% |
| Two or More Races | 1.68% | 1.88% | 11.9% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.24% | 0.49% | 104.17% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.43% | 0.22% | -48.84% |