The Clarkson surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 9,004 people carried this name — #3,953 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 32,800 people counted. That is up 6% from 8,498 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Clarkson surname

A surname originating as an occupation or as a patronymic for a son of a scribe or priest.

From Middle English clerc (“cleric”) + -son, equivalent to Clark + -son.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Clarkson» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

An early record he cites: Ricardus Clerkson, 1379 — Poll Tax, West Riding of Yorkshire.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 184 · public domain.

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 5 births for the Clarkson name in 1890.

Most were registered in Munster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 200 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born, 1890

Munster 3
Leinster 2

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

In the Nordic population registers

45 people named Clarkson is counted in Sweden.

Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.

Counted, by country

Sweden (2022) 45

Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Clarkson was found among the farmers of 4 counties.

It was most frequent in Yorkshire, North and East Ridings: 27 in every 10,000 farmers there — about 1 in 370. Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Yorkshire, North and East Ridings 27
Staffordshire 16
Lancashire 13
Yorkshire, West Riding 11

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In Scotland’s registers today

Clarkson was recorded 35 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 710th most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 53. Each birth counts the child’s surname, each marriage both partners’ and each death the surname of the person who died — a yearly count of registrations, not of the people who live in Scotland.

National Records of Scotland, «Most Common Surnames, 2025» (published 26 May 2026): every surname recorded 10 or more times in the 2025 registers, and the series from 1975 · different spellings are counted separately — © Crown copyright 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

28 families named Clarkson, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 150 people lived in those households, 5.4 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 3 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Pennsylvania 7
Maryland 7
Virginia 6
New York 3
Massachusetts 2
New Hampshire 1
North Carolina 1
South Carolina 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 234 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Clarkson in American newspapers,
1890–1916.

Newspaper page from The Colfax Chronicle carrying the name Clarkson
The Colfax Chronicle 1916-12-09
Newspaper page from The Louisiana Democrat carrying the name Clarkson
The Louisiana Democrat 1890-03-12
Newspaper page from The Port Gibson Reveille carrying the name Clarkson
The Port Gibson Reveille 1908-12-31

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 9,863 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Clarkson in Australian newspapers,
1810s–2000s.

41,415 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Clarkson. The most, 7,990, date from the 1930s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Western Australia, at 3.0 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Western Australia 10,565
Victoria 10,006
New South Wales 8,812
Queensland 5,470
South Australia 4,744
Tasmania 1,290
ACT (Canberra) 225
Northern Territory 23

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Clarkson.

Who carried it

People named Clarkson,
with a public archive behind them.

  • David Clarkson
    David Clarkson 1622–1686 · pastor
  • Caroline Clarkson d. 1861
  • Jane Anne Clarkson d. 1873
  • Thomas Clarkson d. 1968
  • Jane Clarkson d. 1806
  • Ella Rosa Chichester d. 1946

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Clarkson,
in the records of 7 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States1,516 records

1,516 records of the Clarkson name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 410
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 343
  • Other U.S. records 763
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Jay Owen Clarkson

    Born 1949; from Creve Coeur, Missouri. U.S. Army, indirect fire infantryman; killed in action 1970 in Tay Ninh, South Vietnam. Buried at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Albert Pk Kn Clarkson

    Born 1904 in Missouri. Enlisted 1942 at Jefferson Barracks; manager from Marion County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1998, buried at Mount Olivet Cemetery, Hannibal, Missouri.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Jessie Clarkson

    Arrived at New York in 1885 aboard the Anchoria from Glasgow, aged 21; servant. From Stirling, Scotland.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 1,516 records for Clarkson in the United States.

Counts: NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia1,282 records

1,282 records of the Clarkson name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 646
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 207
  • Other Australian records 429
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Elizabeth Clarkson

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Lloyds, sailing from London in 1845. Native of Leeds, Yorkshire. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1848. Married 1848 in Campbell Town, Tasmania, aged 27.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Elizabeth Clarkson

    Died 1913 in River Derwent, Hobart, Tasmania. Will registered in Tasmania in 1913.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Eliza Mary Clarkson

    Born 1878 in Spring Bay, Tasmania. Married 1898 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 21.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 1,282 records for Clarkson in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Canada114 records

114 records of the Clarkson name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 69
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 14
  • Other Canadian records 31
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record John Murray Clarkson

    Buried in 1977 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 43.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Gertrude E. Clarkson

    Buried in 1991 at Mount Hermon Cemetery, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, aged 81.

    Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Charles J. P. Clarkson

    Died 1900 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 114 records for Clarkson in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Netherlands93 records

93 records of the Clarkson name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 61
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 32
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Abraham David Salomons Clarkson

    Married in 1837 in Vlissingen. Died 1876 in Bergen op Zoom.

    Open Archives, Zeeuws Archief (CC BY 4.0); Open Archives, Brabants Historisch Informatie Centrum (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Maria Elisabeth Clarkson

    Born 1844 in Vlissingen. Married in 1868 in Bergen op Zoom. Died 1909 in Utrecht, aged 64.

    Open Archives, Zeeuws Archief (CC BY 4.0); Open Archives, Brabants Historisch Informatie Centrum (CC BY 4.0); Open Archives, Het Utrechts Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Joseph Charles Clarkson

    Born 1843 in Vlissingen. Died 1869 in Bergen op Zoom.

    Open Archives, Zeeuws Archief (CC BY 4.0); Open Archives, Brabants Historisch Informatie Centrum (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 93 records for Clarkson in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

New Zealand79 records

79 records of the Clarkson name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 62
  • Marlborough District cemetery records 7
  • Other New Zealand records 10
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Mary Clarkson

    Died 1923, aged 42; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Joyce Alexandra Nola Clarkson

    Died 1965, aged 55; buried at Omaka Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Patricia Mary Clarkson

    Born 1940, died 1997; buried at Rangiora Lawn Cemetery, Canterbury.

    Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 79 records for Clarkson in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Canterbury Maps (Environment Canterbury), Timaru and Mackenzie District Councils (CC BY 3.0 NZ) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

United Kingdom59 records

59 records of the Clarkson name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 44
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 10
  • Other British records 5
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Margaret Christie Clarkson

    Died 1942, aged 38; buried at Bannockburn Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John Clarkson

    Buried in 1803 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 50.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record Arthur E. Clarkson

    Died 1915. Named in the roll of honour (1926).

    National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain)

Showing 3 of 59 records for Clarkson in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

France1 record

1 record of the Clarkson name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Phyllis Emily Clarkson

    Born 1917 in Great Britain; died 1994 in Dijon (Côte-d'Or).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Clarkson.

When the index is not enough

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