Show ContentsClosson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The chronicles of the Closson family suggest that their ancestors may have been Viking settlers. Their surname comes from a place name of Norse origins, from when they lived in the place named Clouston, a village in Stenness, Orkney. The origins of the place-name are in the Old Norse name Klostathr. which came to Scotland in the 9th century in the waves of pillage, invasion and colonization by the Norwegian Vikings.

Early Origins of the Closson family

The surname Closson was first found in the Orkneys, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, as recorded in the Norse Sagas.

Early History of the Closson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Closson research. Another 62 words (4 lines of text) covering the year 1607 is included under the topic Early Closson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Closson Spelling Variations

The spellings of Scottish names dating from the medieval era often bear little resemblance to those seen today. They vary enormously because scribes in that time spelled according to their ears. Some spelling variations of the name Closson include Clouston, Clouson, Clowston, Clowstoun, Clowstoune, Cloustown, Cloustowne, Clousone, Clauston, Claustoun, Claustown and many more.

Early Notables of the Closson family

More information is included under the topic Early Closson Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Closson Ranking

In the United States, the name Closson is the 13,323rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Migration of the Closson family

The farms of Scottish settlers soon dotted the east coast of the colonies that would become the nations of the United States and Canada. Many of those migrants and their children went on to play important roles in the founding the great nations of North America. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the Scottish name Closson or a variant listed above, including: H. S. Clouson settled in San Francisco in the 1800's.


Contemporary Notables of the name Closson (post 1700) +

  • William Baxter Palmer Closson (1848-1926), American artist
  • Ralph E. Closson, American politician, Mayor of Charleston, Illinois, 1954 2
  • George F. Closson, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Virginia, 1936 (alternate), 1940, 1944 2
  • C. C. Closson, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from New Mexico, 1924 2
  • A. W. Closson, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for South Dakota State Auditor, 1920 2
  • Marc Closson (b. 1952), Canadian professional hockey player
  • Gilles-François Closson (1796-1842), Belgian landscape painter
  • Georges Alexandre Closson (1865-1945), French architect


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 15) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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