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Clerks were originally lower-level orders of the clergy, such as the name Richerius Clericus which appeared in the Domesday Book.  They were usually the only ones in the village who could read or write.  In the Middle Ages, the common pronunciation of "clerk" was "clark."  Consequently Clark became an occupational name for a scribe or secretary.

England.   The earliest Clarkes seem to have come from Kent and from Kingsdown Hall there.  These Clarkes later spread into other counties.  The Clarke and Clark names were also strong in eastern England.  Clarkes appeared in the 1400's in Norfolk and they were an important family in 17th century Norwich. 

The two spellings of the name - Clarke and Clark - have continued in England until the present day.  Clarkes and Clarks in the UK divide about 50/50 today (as opposed to the US where Clark predominates).

Scotland and Ireland.  The Clark name used to be prominent in the county of Caithness but has since spread throughout Scotland.  Clarke is an Irish surname, derived from the Gaelic sept O'Clerigh (meaning "clerk") in Galway.  The name is mainly found in Dublin and county Donegal today.

Select Clark/Clarke Resources on The Internet

Samuel Clarke of Norwich, who worked with Isaac Newton, was considered the greatest metaphysician of his time.
William Tierney Clark was a British pioneer in the design and construction of suspension bridges.
William Clark was part of the famous Lewis and Clark expedition which crossed America overland for the first time to the West Coast.
Kenneth Clark was the British art historian and devisor of the TV series Civilization.
Arthur C. Clarke was the renowned science fiction writer, most known for 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Jim Clark was the pioneer internet entrepreneur and founder of Netscape.