The Clawson surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 10,631 people carried this name — #3,360 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 27,800 people counted. That is up 1% from 10,489 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Clawson surname

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a baptismal name, from a given name: ‘the son of Klaus’.

His entry covers Clayson and Clawson.

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

In the first U.S. census, 1790

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

Each family is counted by its head. About 152 people lived in those households, 5.4 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 4 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 9
New York 8
Vermont 4
Rhode Island 3
Maine 2
Massachusetts 1
Maryland 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

Clawson in American newspapers,
1903–1906.

Newspaper page from The Falls City Tribune carrying the name Clawson
The Falls City Tribune 1906-09-07
Newspaper page from Canton Weekly Register carrying the name Clawson
Canton Weekly Register 1903-06-18
Newspaper page from Harrison Press-journal carrying the name Clawson
Harrison Press-journal 1903-06-25

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain.

In print

Clawson in Australian newspapers,
1860s–1970s.

189 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Clawson. The most, 46, date from the 1920s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in New South Wales, at 1.3 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 83
Victoria 34
Queensland 33
South Australia 20
Western Australia 12
ACT (Canberra) 4
Tasmania 2

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

Who carried it

People named Clawson,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Isaiah D. Clawson
    Isaiah D. Clawson 1822–1879 · politician
  • Hiram B. Clawson
    Hiram B. Clawson 1826–1912 · priest
  • John Willard Clawson
    John Willard Clawson 1858–1936 · photographer
  • Elliott J. Clawson
    Elliott J. Clawson 1883–1942 · screenwriter
  • John Willard
    John Willard 1885–1942 · actor
  • Phineas Clawson 1839–1910 · lawyer

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 Clawson,
in the records of 5 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 States634 records

634 records of the Clawson name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 375
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 113
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 55
  • New York State death index (outside NYC), 1957–2001 50
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 28
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 10
  • U.S. service members who died in the Vietnam War 2
  • U.S. service members who died in the Korean War 1
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Arba W. Clawson

    Born 1917 in Indiana. Enlisted 1942 at Indianapolis; farm hand from Warren County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1988, buried at Tippecanoe Memory Gardens, Evansville, Indiana.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Rodger Dean Clawson

    Born 1945; from Allegan, Michigan. U.S. Army, infantryman; killed in action 1966 in South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Bridget Clawson

    Arrived at New York in 1862 aboard the Compromise from Liverpool, aged 19; servant. From Ireland.

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

Showing 3 of 634 records for Clawson in the United States.

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

Canada18 records

18 records of the Clawson name in Canada
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 4
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 4
  • City of Winnipeg cemetery records 4
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 3
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 2
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 1
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Helen Dulcie Clawson

    Buried in 1974 at Burnsland Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 89.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Christina Clawson

    Died 1971 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, aged 81.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record William Clawson

    Died in service in 1919.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 18 records for Clawson in Canada.

Counts: City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). 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); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

Australia12 records

12 records of the Clawson name in Australia
  • NSW convict, estate and railway indexes 8
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 2
  • Tasmanian Names Index 1
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 1
  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 Thomas Clawson

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Camden, arriving 1831; ticket of leave 1841.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record William Clawson

    Arrived in Victoria in 1894 aboard the Oroya, aged 20.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Ada Clawson

    Of Newport, Victoria; died 1950.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 12 records for Clawson in Australia.

Counts: Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (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); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Netherlands4 records

4 records of the Clawson name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 3
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 1
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Howard Bye Clawson

    Married in 1946 in Arnhem.

    Open Archives, Gelders Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Elgin Little Clawson

    In the population register of Utrecht; born in Salt Lake City.

    Open Archives, Het Utrechts Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Charles Clawson

    In the population register of Nijmegen; born 1887.

    Open Archives, Regionaal Archief Nijmegen (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 4 records for Clawson 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); U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

United Kingdom1 record

1 record of the Clawson name in the United Kingdom War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record G. Clawson

    King's Own (Yorkshire Light Infantry). Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Clawson.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Clawson is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Clawson volume
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