Explore the Family Name Clemens
The meaning of Clemens
1. English (Cornwall): variant of Clemence or Clement. 2. German, Dutch, and Danish: from the personal name Clemens (see Clement). 3. In some cases also an Americanized form of Slovenian patronymics Klemenc (see Klements) and Klemenčič or of Croatian Klemenčić (see Klemencic). Compare Klemens. History: Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known by his pen name, Mark Twain, was descended from VA stock on his father’s side, from a Robert Clemens, who was born in Warwickshire, England, in 1634.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Clemens in the United States?
According to data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Clemens experienced a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. In terms of rank, Clemens dropped from 2373rd place in 2000 to 2542nd in 2010, representing a change of -7.12%. Despite this drop in rank, the actual count of individuals bearing the surname slightly increased from 13,995 in 2000 to 14,231 in 2010, reflecting a growth of 1.69%. The proportion per 100k people also decreased by 7.13% over the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,373 | #2,542 | -7.12% |
| Count | 13,995 | 14,231 | 1.69% |
| Proportion per 100k | 5.19 | 4.82 | -7.13% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Clemens
The ethnic identity associated with the Clemens surname saw some shifts as per the Decennial U.S. Census data. Between 2000 and 2010, those identifying as two or more races and Hispanic ethnicity rose by 42.42% and 87.23%, respectively. Those identifying as White still held the majority at 91.08%, although this was a slight decrease from 92.55% in 2000. Individuals identifying as Black decreased from 3.74% in 2000 to 3.46% in 2010. The percentage of Asian/Pacific Islanders and American Indian and Alaskan Natives saw small decreases of 6.90% and 2.50% respectively.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 92.55% | 91.08% | -1.59% |
| Black | 3.74% | 3.46% | -7.49% |
| Hispanic | 1.41% | 2.64% | 87.23% |
| Two or More Races | 1.32% | 1.88% | 42.42% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.58% | 0.54% | -6.9% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.4% | 0.39% | -2.5% |
Clemens ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Clemens is British & Irish, which comprises 42.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (32.2%) and Eastern European (6.3%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 42.1% |
| French & German | 32.2% |
| Eastern European | 6.3% |
| Other | 19.4% |
Possible origins of the surname Clemens
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Clemens have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 80.60% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 80.60% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 80.40% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 79.80% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 79.80% |
What Clemens haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Clemens is R-Z209, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Z209 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and E-M5021, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Bernard, Vickers, Winters, Winter, Gerard, Manuel, Burk, Doe, Herbert, David.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Clemens surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Clemens have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Clemens" Surname 42.6%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Clemens" Surname 28.1%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Clemens" Surname 20.9%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Clemens" Surname 17.7%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Clemens?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Clemens are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition