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Show ContentsClement History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
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Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

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The history of the Clement name began with the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived 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 Clement family

The surname Clement 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 Clement family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Clement 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 Clement History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Clement Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Clement family name include Clements, Clement, Clemens, Climer and others.

Early Notables of the Clement 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 Parliamen...
  • Margaret Clements or Clement (1508-1570), was a learned lady, whose maiden name was Giggs, was born in 1508, being daughter of a gentleman of Norfolk. "She was a kinswoman of Sir Thomas More, who brou...
  • John Clement or Clements (d. 1572), was President of the College of Physicians and probably a native of Yorkshire. 4
  • Caesar Clement (d. 1626), was an English Catholic divine, born in the diocese of London and was great-nephew to Dr. John Clement 4

Clement World Ranking

In the United States, the name Clement is the 1,243rd most popular surname with an estimated 24,870 people with that name. 5 However, in Canada, the name Clement is ranked the 417th most popular surname with an estimated 11,195 people with that name. 6 And in Quebec, Canada, the name Clement is the 271st popular surname. 7 France ranks Clement as 44th with 43,725 people. 8 New Zealand ranks Clement as 794th with 917 people. 9

Ireland Migration of the Clement family to Ireland

Some of the Clement 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.

United States Clement migration to the United States +

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Clement surname or a spelling variation of the name include :

Clement Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Joreme Clement, who landed in Virginia in 1623 10
  • Elizabeth Clement, who arrived in Jamestown, Va in 1624 10
  • Augustine Clement, painter who arrived in New England in 1635 aboard the ship "James", bound for Dorchester 10
  • Edey Clement, who settled in Virginia in 1635
  • Margaret Clement, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 10
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Clement Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Lucrece Clement, who landed in New York in 1731 10
  • Mich Clement, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1738 10
  • Agnes Clement, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1743 10
  • Miss Clement, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1754 10
  • Moses Clement, who landed in New York in 1755 10
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Clement Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • William Clement, who landed in America in 1801 10
  • David Clement, aged 22, who arrived in New York, NY in 1803 10
  • Andrew Clement, aged 20, who landed in New York, NY in 1803 10
  • James Clement, who arrived in Boston in 1847
  • Josepha Clement, aged 26, who arrived in New York, NY in 1847 10
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Clement migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Clement Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century
  • Pierre Clement, aged 29, who arrived in Quebec in 1656
  • Mr. Pierre Clément, French labourer travelling to Canada to work for François Peron, arriving on 11th April 1656 11
  • Pierre Clement married Louise Gélé in Quebec on 25th August 1659 12
  • Jean Clement, son of Jean and Anne, who married Madeleine Surget, daughter of François and Marguerite, in Quebec on 28th September 1659 12
  • Pierre Clément, the son of Jean and Jeanne Martin, originally of Aunis, who married Louise Gèle in Quebec in 1659
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Clement Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Pierre Clement, son of Pierre and Catherine, who married Marie-Catherine Prézot-Préjean-Larivière, daughter of Michel and Marie, in Montreal, Quebec on 19th April 1702 12
  • Pierre Clément dit Larivière, who married, Marie Prézeau in Montreal, in 1702
  • Édouard Clement, son of Robert and Élisabeth, who married Catherine-Angélique Gautier, daughter of Jean and Angélique, in Quebec on 27th October 1710 12
  • André Clement, son of Gilbert and Madeleine, who married Marie Gaboury, daughter of Antoine and Jeanne, in Saint-Augustin, Quebec on 18th November 1720 12
  • Bernard Clement, son of Pierre and Marie-Catherine, who married Marie Messaguier, daughter of Hugues and Marie-Anne, in Lachine, Quebec on 8th January 1721 12
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Clement Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Jacques Clément, the son of Jean and Julienne Vivie of Normandy, who was married in Quebec to Marie-Louise Giraud
  • Joseph Clement, who arrived in Canada in 1841

Australia Clement migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Clement Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Miss Catherine Clement, English convict who was convicted in Chester, Cheshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Canada" in March 1810, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 13
  • Lavinia Clement, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "British Sovereign" in 1847 14
  • Margaret Clement, Scottish convict from Stirling, who was transported aboard the "Anna Maria" on October 4, 1851, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 15
  • John Clement, aged 28, a smelter, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Glentanner" 16

New Zealand Clement migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Clement Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mrs. Elizabeth Clement, (b. 1829), aged 28, British se travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Glentanner" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 3rd October 1857 17
  • Mr. Shadrack Clement, (b. 1831), aged 26, British agricultural labourer travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Glentanner" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 3rd October 1857 17
  • Mr. William Henry Clement, (b. 1851), aged 6, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Glentanner" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 3rd October 1857 17
  • Miss Elizabeth Ann Clement, (b. 1853), aged 4, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Glentanner" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 3rd October 1857 17
  • Mr. Edward Charles Clement, (b. 1855), aged 2, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Glentanner" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 3rd October 1857 17
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Clement (post 1700) +

  • Robert Nelson "Bob" Clement (b. 1943), Tennessee politician
  • John Louis "Johnny" Clement (1919-1969), American football player
  • Frank Goad Clement (1920-1969), American politician who served as Governor of Tennessee from 1953 to 1959, and again from 1963 to 1967
  • Matthew Paul Clement (b. 1974), former American Major League Baseball starting pitcher
  • John Henderson Clement (b. 1931), American singer, songwriter, and a record and film producer
  • Neil Clement (b. 1978), English former professional footballer
  • Wolfgang Clement (1940-2020), German politician, 7th Minister President of North Rhine-Westphalia (1998-2002), Federal Minister of Economics and Labour (2002-2005)
  • Pascal Clément (1945-2020), French politician, member of the Union pour un Mouvement Populaire, French Minister of Justice (2005-2007)
  • Gabriel-Joseph Clément, French Brigadier General during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1789 to 1815 18
  • Jacques-Valère Clément, French Brigadier General during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1789 to 1815 19
  • ... (Another 14 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
HMAS Sydney II
  • Mr. William Clement (1922-1941), Australian Ordinary Seaman from Auburn, Victoria, Australia, who sailed into battle aboard HMAS Sydney II and died in the sinking 20
  1. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  2. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  3. 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)
  4. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  5. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  6. "Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
  7. "The first 1,000 family names by rank, Quebec (in French only)" Institut de la statistique du Quebec, https://statistique.quebec.ca/en/document/family-names-in-quebec/tableau/the-first-1000-family-names-by-rank-quebec
  8. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  9. "Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
  10. 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)
  11. Debien, Gabriel. Liste Des Engagés Pour Le Canada Au XVIIe Siècle. Vol. 6, Laval University, 1952. (Retreived 24th May 2018). Retrieved from https://lebloguedeguyperron.wordpress.com/2016/06/30/130-liste-des-contrats-dengagement-pour-la-nouvelle-france-releves-a-la-rochelle-entre-1634-et-1679/
  12. Internoscia, Arthur E., and Claire Chevrier. Dictionnaire National des Canadiens Français 1608-1760. Vol. 1, Institut Drouin, 1958.
  13. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/canada
  14. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) BRITISH SOVEREIGN 1847. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1847BritishSovereign.htm
  15. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2015, January 8) Anna Maria voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1851 with 200 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/anna-maria/1851
  16. South Australia Passengerlists (Retrieved 10th November 2010). Retrieved from https://archives.sa.gov.au/sites/default/files/documentstore/passengerlists/1855/GRG35_48_1_55-35_Glentanner.pdf
  17. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  18. Generals Who Served in the French Army during the Period 1789-1815. (Retrieved 2015, February 12) Gabriel-Joseph Clément. Retrieved from http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/c_frenchgenerals.html
  19. Generals Who Served in the French Army during the Period 1789-1815. (Retrieved 2015, February 12) Jacques-Valère Clément. Retrieved from http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/c_frenchgenerals.html
  20. HMAS Sydney II, Finding Sydney Foundation - Roll of Honour. (Retrieved 2014, April 24) . Retrieved from http://www.findingsydney.com/roll.asp
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