Show ContentsClatterbuck History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The distinguished surname Clatterbuck emerged among the industrious people of Flanders, which was an important trading partner and political ally of Britain during the Middle Ages. As a result of the frequent commercial intercourse between the Flemish and English nations, many Flemish migrants settled in Britain. In early times, people were known by only a single name. However, as the population grew and people traveled further afield, it became increasingly necessary to assume an additional name to differentiate between bearers of the same personal name. The manner in which hereditary surnames arose is interesting. Local surnames are derived from where the original bearer lived, was born, or held land. Flemish surnames of this type frequently are prefixed by de la or de le, which mean of the or from the. The Clatterbuck family originally lived in a place called Cloerterbooke or Cloerterbook in Flanders, which has since been lost to the map. The name is a "a Flemish refugee name; a Thomas Cloerterbooke was Sheriff of Gloucestershire in 1586." [1]

Early Origins of the Clatterbuck family

The surname Clatterbuck was first found in Gloucestershire where they held a family seat from early times, approximately the 1400's and granted land there.

Early History of the Clatterbuck family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Clatterbuck research. Another 132 words (9 lines of text) covering the year 1924 is included under the topic Early Clatterbuck History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Clatterbuck Spelling Variations

Flemish surnames are characterized by a large number of spelling variations. One reason for this is that medieval English lacked definite spelling rules. The spellings of surnames were also influenced by the official court languages, which were French and Latin. Names were rarely spelled consistently in medieval times. Scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to specific spelling rules, and people often had their names registered in several different forms throughout their lives. One of the greatest reasons for change is the linguistic uniqueness of the Flemish settlers in England, who spoke a language closely related to Dutch. The pronunciation and spelling of Flemish names were often altered to suit the tastes of English-speaking people. In many cases, the first, final, or middle syllables of surnames were eliminated. The name has been spelled Clutterbuck, Clitterbuck, Clutterbook and many more.

Early Notables of the Clatterbuck family

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

Clatterbuck Ranking

In the United States, the name Clatterbuck is the 16,222nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [2]

Migration of the Clatterbuck family

Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Clatterbuck or a variant listed above: Edward Clutterbuck who settled in Barbados in 1663; along with John and Samuel; Henry Clutterbooke settled in Nevis in 1654.


Contemporary Notables of the name Clatterbuck (post 1700) +

  • Robert Dean "Bobby" Clatterbuck (b. 1932), American football quarterback for the New York Giants and the Los Angeles Chargers from 1954 to 1960 and college baseball pitcher who played in the 1953 College World Series


  1. Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/


Houseofnames.com on Facebook