Explore the Family Name Clee
The meaning of Clee
1. English (West Midlands and south Wales): habitational name from any of several places called Clee, particularly the Clee Hills in Shropshire or possibly Clee in Lincolnshire. The hills are probably named with Old English cleo ‘rounded, ball-shaped’. In early Suffolk, this was a topographic name for atte cley ‘at the clay’, but this does not seem to have survived. 2. Americanized form of German Klee.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Clee in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Clee has seen a slight increase over a decade. In 2000, the surname ranked 72,237th in popularity and saw a slight rise to 71,886th in 2010, representing a growth rate of 0.49%. The count of people with this name also increased from 251 to 271 during that time, marking an approximate 8% boost in frequency. Despite these changes, the proportion per 100,000 people remained constant at 0.09.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #72,237 | #71,886 | 0.49% |
| Count | 251 | 271 | 7.97% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.09 | 0.09 | 0% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Clee
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Clee showed some variation between 2000 and 2010, according to data from the Decennial U.S. Census. While the majority identified as White — decreasing slightly from 84.86% to 81.18% — there were increases in those identifying as Hispanic and Black. The percentage of those identifying as Hispanic nearly doubled from 2.79% to 5.54%, while the Black demographic saw a modest rise from 7.97% to 8.49%. There was a decrease in those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, going from 3.98% to none. Additionally, there appeared a new category of individuals who identify with two or more races, making up 2.95% in 2010. There were no individuals who identified as American Indian and Alaskan Native in either year.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 84.86% | 81.18% | -4.34% |
| Black | 7.97% | 8.49% | 6.52% |
| Hispanic | 2.79% | 5.54% | 98.57% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 2.95% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 3.98% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |