History of your Surname
Get access to Clinton family records.Start a free trial

Clinton Family History

Clinton Name Meaning

Irish (Louth Westmeath) and Scottish: shortened form of McClinton . English: habitational name either from Glympton in Oxfordshire named as ‘settlement (Old English tūn) on the Glym river’ a Celtic river name meaning ‘bright stream’ or from Glinton in Northamptonshire early recorded as Clinton (named with an unrecorded Old English element akin to Middle Low German glinde ‘enclosure fence’ + Old English tūn). The surname was taken to Ireland in or before the 16th century.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Linton, Clifton, Winton, Hinton, Litton, Pointon, Brinton, Chilton

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Clinton family from?

You can see how Clinton families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Clinton family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Clinton families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 121 Clinton families living in Ontario. This was about 60% of all the recorded Clinton's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Clinton families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Clinton surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Clinton ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Clinton. 34% of Clinton men worked as a Farmer and 34% of Clinton women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Clinton were Machinist and Domestic. .

View Census Data for Clinton | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    34%
  • Labourer
    23%
  • Laborer
    9%
  • Machinist
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Stenographer
    34%
  • At Home
    23%
  • Merchant
    23%
  • Domestic
    23%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Clinton family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 125,000 census records available for the last name Clinton. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Clinton census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Clinton

Passenger Lists

There are 12,000 immigration records available for the last name Clinton. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Clinton immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 30,000 military records available for the last name Clinton. For the veterans among your Clinton ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Clinton military records

You've only scratched the surface of Clinton family history

Discover More

What is the average Clinton lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Clinton life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1953, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Clinton in 1941 was 36, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Clinton

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Clinton family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Clinton last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial