Home › Baby Names Directory › Clarke

Clarke

♀ Girl

Pronounced KLAHRK /ˈklɑɹk/Medium

Meaning: ClericMedium

In 30 seconds: Clarke is an English name, used here for a girl, meaning 'cleric' or scholar. It began as an occupational surname for a clerk or learned man.

💕 Browse more names

Origin MediumEnglish

MeaningCleric

U.S. rank (2025)#1519 ↗ Rising

2025 U.S. births140 girls (0.01% of U.S. girls)

Peak year2021

Total births (all-time)≈ 1,686

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

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 comes from the English word 'clerk,' which once meant a cleric or literate churchman, the people who handled reading and writing. As a surname it marked a family connected to that work, and over time it crossed into use as a first name. The spelling with the final -e is the common surname form.

Its single hard syllable gives it a crisp, modern sound as a girl's name. Earlier bearers were male, including the football player Clarke Hinkle and the swimmer Clarke Scholes.

Did you know? Clarke is a spelling variant of Clark, so it keeps the same core meaning of 'cleric' while changing the visual style.

Overall data confidence 70%

Behind the Name - Clarke — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

—

Nicknames

—

Famous Bearers

★Clarke Hinkle (1909–1988)
Football player.
★Clarke Scholes (1930–2010)
Male public figure listed on Behind the Name.

If you like Clarke…

Clark— The same English name without the final -e, identical in origin and meaning.

Blair— Another English surname-turned-given-name with a short, sharp sound like Clarke.

Sloane— A surname-style English name with the same brisk, one-syllable feel used for girls.

Blayke— echoes that soft -ke sound

Blake— a fellow English choice

Explore names like Clarke

By themeenglish unisex

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Clarke mean?

Clarke is usually explained as meaning 'cleric' and is most often linked with English tradition.

How do you pronounce Clarke?

It's commonly said KLAHRK /ˈklɑɹk/.

Is Clarke a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Clarke is used as a girl name.

How popular is Clarke?

In 2024, Clarke ranked #1863 in the U.S. for girls, with 107 births recorded.