Clement Family History

English, Catalan, German, Flemish, and Dutch; French and Walloon (Clément): from the Latin personal name Clemens meaning ‘merciful’ (genitive Clementis). This achieved popularity firstly through having been borne by an early Christian saint who was a disciple of Saint Paul and later because it was selected as a symbolic name by a number of early popes.

There has also been some confusion with the personal name Clemence (from Latin Clementia meaning ‘mercy’ an abstract noun derived from the adjective; in part a masculine name from Latin Clementius a later derivative of Clemens).

In North America, the English form of the surname has absorbed cognates from other languages, especially Italian Clemente and also their derivatives.