Contents [hide]

Clemons History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Clemons History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

The generations and branches of the Clemons family share a name that has its roots in the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. The name Clemons comes from the given name Clement which means the son of Clement. The name is from Latin origin and applies to a mild or merciful individual. It gained popularity in Medieval Europe when it was borne by an early saint who was a disciple of St. Paul, and later when the name was used by several early popes.

Early Origins of the Clemons family

The surname Clemons was first found in Brecknock, in the Welsh princedom of Powys, located in the border country between Wales and England. A bearer of Clement is said to have arrived in the Norman Conquest of England with Bernard Newmarche. Together they later fought in Brecon where they conquered the Lordship of Caron; after this battle Clement was given land at Llangorse Lake and at Cathedine.

There is a record of a grant of these lands to Geoffrey Clement made at Westminster by Edward 1 on the 10th February 1290. There has also long been a family of this name in Oxfordshire, where record of the Knights Templar show William and Richard Clement in 1153, and Robertus Clemens in 1155. 1

The name was "enormously popular in the 13th century. Hence as a surname itself and its variants will be immortalized in our directories." 2

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included: Eustace filius Clement, Oxfordshire; Hugh Clement, Cambridgeshire; Richard Clemence, Huntingdonshire; Matthew Clemens, Oxfordshire; Peter filius Clement, Salop (Shropshire); and Clemens Janitor, Norfolk. 2

Later the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed: Clemens Alius Elenoe; Johannes Clement; and Petrus Clementson as all holding lands as that time. 2

In Scotland, "the following spellings all occur in 1684 (Parish): MacClymont, McClamont, McClamot, McClemen, McClement, MeClemin, McClymon, McCIymond, and McLymond, and Clymont. McClymonts are mentioned as farmers in Ayrshire in 1613. James McClymont, witness in Carrick, 1687." 3 The name is thought to have been "from Gaelic MacLaomuinn, 'son of Lamont.' In the Dean of Lismore's Book we find McClymont along with Clynelymyn (i.e. Clan Lamont). M'Lagmanid 1358, MacLagmayn 1410, Mc Laiman 1802, M'Lawmane c. 1353." 3

Early History of the Clemons family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Clemons research. Another 166 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1162, 1210, 1233, 1258, 1273, 1379, 1489, 1508, 1570, 1572, 1594, 1626, 1660, 1685, 1742, 1797 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Clemons History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Clemons Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Clemons include Clements, Clement, Clemens, Climer and others.

Early Notables of the Clemons family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Clement of Dunblane (d. 1258), a Dominican friar, and close associate of King Alexander II of Scotland, who was made Bishop of Dunblane; and Gregory Clement (1594-1660), an English Member of Parliament (MP) and one of the regicides of King Charles I, he was hanged, drawn and quartered at Charing Cross on 17 October 1660.Margaret Clements or Clement (1508-1570), was a learned lady, whose maiden name was...
Another 74 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Clemons Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Clemons Ranking

In the United States, the name Clemons is the 908^th most popular surname with an estimated 32,331 people with that name. 4

Migration of the Clemons family to Ireland

Some of the Clemons family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 123 words (9 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Clemons migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Clemons or a variant listed above:

Clemons Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Richard Clemons, who arrived in Virginia in 1711 5

Clemons Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Mr. Thomas Clemons, (b. 1864), aged 22, Cornish miner departing from Liverpool aboard the ship "Umbria" arriving in Boston, USA on 5 April 1886 6

Clemons migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Clemons Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Simeon Clemons, who arrived in Canada in 1832

Contemporary Notables of the name Clemons (post 1700) +

Colonel Joseph Gordon Clemons Jr. (1928-2018), American decorated soldier in the United States Army in the Korean War and in the Vietnam War; his actions in the 1953 Battle of Pork Chop Hill were the subject of a 1959 movie, Pork Chop Hill
Lorenzo Clemons (b. 1946), American actor
Christopher Hale Clemons (b. 1972), retired Major League Baseball pitcher
Alonzo Clemons, American animal sculptor and a savant
Kortney Clemons (b. 1980), American Paralympic athlete and Iraq War Veteran
Scott Clemons (b. 1960), American politician of the Democratic Party
Duane Anthony Clemons (b. 1974), former American Football defensive end
Charlie Fitzgerald Clemons (b. 1972), former American football linebacker
Lance Levis Clemons (1947-2008), American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball
Chris Clemons, American baseball player
... (Another 15 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to New York 1820 - 1891 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_new_york_1820_1891.pdf