Clothier History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The name Clothier reached English shores for the first time with the ancestors of the Clothier family as they migrated following the Norman Conquest in 1066. Clothier is a name for a person employed making or selling nails, particularly those used for horse shoes. The surname is derived from the Old French word clou, which in turn derives from the Latin word clavus, which both mean nail.
Early Origins of the Clothier family
The surname Clothier was first found in Normandy where they held a family seat.
Early History of the Clothier family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Clothier research. Another 93 words (7 lines of text) covering the year 1719 is included under the topic Early Clothier History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Clothier Spelling Variations
Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Cloutier, Clouthier, Clouther, Clothier, Clouter, Cluthier, Cloethier, Cloetier and many more.
Early Notables of the Clothier family
More information is included under the topic Early Clothier Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Clothier Ranking
In the United States, the name Clothier is the 15,230th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1
Clothier migration to the United States +
Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Clothier or a variant listed above:
Clothier Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
- Richard Clothier, who arrived in Virginia in 1653 2
- Jeremiah Clothier, who landed in New England in 1662 2
Clothier migration to Australia +
Emigration to
Australia followed the
First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:
Clothier Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
- Mr. Stephen Clothier, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "England"on 28th April 1826, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 3
- Mr. John Clothier, (b. 1834), aged 22, English farm sevant from Somerset, England, UKtravelling from Plymouth, Devon, UK aboard the ship "Aliquis" arriving in Adelaide, Australia on 26th August 1856 4
- John Clothier (aged 22), a farm servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1856 aboard the ship "Aliquis"
- Henry Clothier, aged 21, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1859 aboard the ship "David McIvor"
Clothier 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:
Clothier Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
- Edward Clothier, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ashmore" in 1854
- John Clothier, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ashmore" in 1854
- Miss Alice A. Clothier, (b. 1859), aged 24, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Westland" arriving in Westland, West Coast, New Zealand in 1883 5
Contemporary Notables of the name Clothier (post 1700) +
- Hurshul Clothier (1921-2006), American musician, one of the pioneers of the big band sound of western swing, inducted into the Oklahoma Country and Western Music Hall of Fame in 1996
- Robert Clarkson Clothier (1885-1970), American academic, the 14th President of Rutgers University from 1932 to 1951
- William "Bill" Jackson Clothier (1881-1962), American tennis player who achieved World No. 4 in 1906, inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1956
- Jeff Clothier (b. 1961), American actor
- William H. Clothier (1903-1996), American two-time Academy Award nominated cinematographer, best known for The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), The Alamo (1960) and McLintock! (1963)
- William Clothier, American politician, Representative from New York 32nd District, 1886 6
- Robert Clarkson Clothier (b. 1885), American politician, Delegate to New Jersey State Constitutional Convention from Middlesex County, 1947 6
- Morris Lewis Clothier, American Republican politician, Presidential Elector for Pennsylvania, 1908 6
- Henry Clothier, American politician, Candidate for Michigan State Senate 29th District, 1906 6
- H. E. Clothier, American Republican politician, Chair of Lincoln County Republican Party, 1940 6
- ... (Another 5 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Historic Events for the Clothier family +
- Mr. Kenneth R J Clothier (b. 1922), English Ordinary Coder serving for the Royal Navy from Bishopton, Bristol, Gloucestershire, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 7
Citations +
- "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)
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th April 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/england
- The Ships List Passenger Lists Ship Aliquis (Retrieved 26th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/aliquis1856.shtml
- New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 15) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
- H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm