Clarke
A surname from the medieval word for a cleric or scholar, originally meaning “the clerk.”
The #487 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 4,522 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Clarke is an occupational surname from Middle English clerk, meaning a literate cleric, scholar, or scribe. The word goes back through Old French and ultimately Latin clericus, “clergyman.” In medieval England it could refer both to a churchman and, more broadly, to anyone who was educated enough to do written work.
History
The surname appears very early in England and quickly became common in spellings such as Clark and Clarke. Bardsley treats Clarke as the fuller or more formal spelling of the same occupational name. It has long been especially common in England and Scotland, and later spread widely in Ireland and the English-speaking world.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because medieval “clerks” were often the most educated people in a village, the surname could imply literacy as much as church office.
From the historical record
“Kit, tJDTnlllir. Ainanr Clarke, widow, (pplit* for ean oTpay doc to her hmband ' ; Mar i«S6| Cal. State Papen (Dom.). Wor<np.ror&D.,ApTil 10,1561'! RiE.”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with special American instances