How to say it
CLARK
/klɑːrk/
Masculine
Clark
Cleric, scholar
What it means
An English occupational surname for a clerk or cleric, a literate churchman or scholar, from the Latin clericus.
Clark comes from the medieval clerk or cleric, one of the few people who could read and write, from the Latin clericus. As a surname it was everywhere, and it stepped forward as a first name with a clean, capable ring. Two giants anchor it: Hollywood's Clark Gable and, of course, Clark Kent, Superman's mild-mannered alter ego. Crisp and one syllable.
Popularity over time
peaked at #176 in 1881, currently #377 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Pop culture
Clark Kent (Superman) and Clark Gable are the two big bearers.
- Spelling
A 'scholar/clerk' surname; Clarke adds an e.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Clark Gable Hollywood leading man of the 1930s and 40s
- Clark Kent Superman's everyday identity
Spelling variants
- Clarke
- Clerk
Names with the same feeling
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By style