Clark


Select Clark/Clarke Surname Genealogy

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.

It started to become an inherited family surname in England and in Scotland around 1400.  In England, two spellings of the name, Clark and Clarke, have continued to the present day.

Select Clark/Clarke Resources on The Internet

Select Clark/Clarke Names

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. 
Helen Clark is New Zealand's Prime Minister.

Select Clarks/Clarkes Today
  • 152,000 in the UK (most numerous in West Midlands)
  • 177,000 in America (most numerous in Texas)
  • 99,000 elsewhere (most numerous in Canada)
Clark is the #14 ranked surname in Scotland.