Clark
Clark or Clarke is a given name, a transferred use of the English occupational surname derived from the Latin word clericus, meaning clerk. The name has been in use as a given name in the Anglosphere since the 1600s.
- English
Meaning & Origin of Clark
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Clark or Clarke is a given name, a transferred use of the English occupational surname derived from the Latin word clericus, meaning clerk. The name has been in use as a given name in the Anglosphere since the 1600s.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Clark
Clark first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 49 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1961, when 880 Clarks were born — ranking #268 that year. As of 2026, Clark ranks #455 for baby boys with 693 births, gradually falling (-13%). In total, more than 51K Clarks have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Clark
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Clark (born 1979), British electronic musician
- Clark C. Abt (born 1929), American educationist and researcher
- Clark Accord (1961–2011), Surinamese–Dutch author and makeup artist
- Clark Adams (1969–2007), American author
- Clark J. Adams (1904–1981), American lawyer, politician and judge
- Clark Aldrich (born 1967), American author and practitioner
- Clark Allen (1925–2008), American folk musician
- Clark L. Anderson , American academic
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Clark
Phonetically similar names — useful when Clark is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Clark
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About the name Clark
Clark is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 51K births in the dataset. Clark's peak popularity came in 1961 when it ranked #175. Use the chart and map above to compare Clark's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1961 →
- Names of the 1960s →
- Names starting with "C" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.