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Home › Baby Names Directory › Clarke

Clarke

♂ Boy

Pronounced KLARK /ˈklɑrk/High

Meaning: Clerk, scribe, scholar; the e-spelled form of the English occupational surname ClarkHigh

In 30 seconds: The scholar's surname with a silent flourish: Clarke meant the man who could read and write when that was a superpower. Arthur C. Clarke wrote the spelling into the stars.
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Origin HighEnglish
MeaningClerk, scribe, scholar; the e-spelled form of the English occupational surname Clark
U.S. rank (2025)#3193 ↗ Rising
2025 U.S. births37 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1947
Total births (all-time)≈ 3,909

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 201618802025

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Clarke is the e-finished form of Clark — Old English clerec, the clerk or cleric, medieval society's lettered man. The spelling skews British and Irish; science fiction's Arthur C. Clarke and Lewis-and-Clark-adjacent American memory keep both forms cultural fixtures.

As a first name, Clark had the Gable-and-Kent midcentury; Clarke is its rarer, more tailored sibling, occasionally crossing to girls. For a son it reads bookish, brisk, and one consonant from Superman.

Did you know? Arthur C. Clarke predicted the communications satellite in 1945 — geostationary orbit is still called the Clarke Orbit, lifting this scribe's surname into literal space.
Overall data confidence 90%
Dictionary of American Family Names — Clark — occupational origin

Variations

ClarkClerk

Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

  • ★Clarke Peters (1952-)
    American actor known for The Wire and Treme

If you like Clarke…

Clark— the Superman-and-Gable spelling of the same surname
Pierce— a fellow one-syllable polished surname
Grant— the granite midcentury companion
Ellis— another lettered-feeling surname pick

Explore names like Clarke

By themeenglishsurname-nameoccupational
By meaningBird

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Clarke mean?

Clarke is the e-spelled form of Clark, the English occupational surname for a clerk or scholar.

How do you pronounce Clarke?

It's said KLARK /ˈklɑrk/ — a single syllable.

Is Clarke a boy or girl name?

Clarke is used for both sexes; this page covers its use as a boy's name.

How popular is Clarke?

Clarke is a rare first name in the U.S.; Clark is the more familiar form.

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