# Clarkson (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/clarkson/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

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

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | English |
| Type | occupational, named after the work an ancestor did |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 9,004 |
| US rank (2010) | 3,953 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 34,290 people |
| Change since 2000 | +6.0% (8,498 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈklɑɹk.sən/, 2 syllables |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |

## Etymology

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

## Who carries it

Share of people named Clarkson in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 84% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 11% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.1% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.5% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.7% |
| Two or more races | 1.7% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Clarkson in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and the Philippines.

## People named Clarkson

- Kelly Clarkson, American singer-songwriter (born 1982)
- Jeremy Clarkson, British broadcaster, journalist and writer
- Patricia Clarkson, American actress
- Adrienne Clarkson, 26th governor general of Canada
- Lana Clarkson, actress and fashion model from the United States (1962–2003)
- Jordan Clarkson, American-Filipino basketball player (born 1992)
- John Clarkson, American baseball player (1861-1909)

## Similar surnames

Clark, Clarke, Claros, Colarusso, Clowers, Calleros, Clerk.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.