Clarke is a surname which means "clerk". The surname is of English and Irish origin and comes from the

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

. Variants include

Clerk A clerk is a white-collar worker who conducts record keeping as well as general office tasks, or a worker who performs similar sales-related tasks in a retail environment. The responsibilities of clerical workers commonly include Records managem ...

and Clark. Clarke is also uncommonly chosen as a given name.

Irish surname origin

Clarke is a common surname in Ireland. The Irish version of the surname is believed to have come from

County Galway County Galway ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Northern and Western Region, taking up the south of the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht. The county population was 276,451 at the 20 ...

and

County Antrim County Antrim (named after the town of Antrim, County Antrim, Antrim, ) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, located within the historic Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the c ...

and spread to

County Donegal County Donegal ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county of the Republic of Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster and is the northernmost county of Ireland. The county mostly borders Northern Ireland, sharing only a small b ...

and

County Dublin County Dublin ( or ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland, and holds its capital city, Dublin. It is located on the island's east coast, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. Until 1994, County Dubli ...

. The name is derived from the

Irish Gaelic Irish (Standard Irish: ), also known as Irish Gaelic or simply Gaelic ( ), is a Celtic language of the Indo-European language family. It is a member of the Goidelic languages of the Insular Celtic sub branch of the family and is indigeno ...

sept , meaning "clerk".

English surname origin

Clarke, as well as Clark, is also a widespread surname in England. The English version is of Anglo-Saxon origin and was used in the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

for the name of a scribe or secretary. The word "clerc", which came from the pre-7th century

Old English Old English ( or , or ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. It developed from the languages brought to Great Britain by Anglo-S ...

(meaning priest), originally denoted a member of a religious order, but later became widespread. In the Middle Ages, virtually the only people who could read and write were members of religious orders, linking the word with literacy. Thus the surname became a popular term for a literate man, particularly for the professional secretary and the scholar. The English surnames Clarke and Clark are spelling variations. Beauclerk is a related surname, from the Anglo-Norman meaning "fine scholar", and the French surname Leclerc is in the same family of names.

People with the surname

* A. Clarke (Leicestershire cricketer), English cricketer * Adam Clarke (1760–1832), British biblical scholar * Adele Clarke (1945–2024), American sociologist * Adline Clarke, American politician * A. E. Clarke, architect working in Australia from the 1890s * Alan Clarke (1935–1990), British TV and film director *

Alexander Ross Clarke Alexander Ross Clarke Royal Society of London, FRS FRSE (1828–1914) was a British geodesist, primarily remembered for his calculation of the Principal Triangulation of Britain (1858), the calculation of the Figure of the Earth (1858, 1860, ...

(1828–1914), British geodesist * Alf Clarke (1926–1971), English footballer * Alfie Clarke (disambiguation), several people * Alfred Clarke (disambiguation), several people * Allan Clarke (footballer) (born 1946), English footballer * Ann or Anne Clarke (disambiguation) * Anthony Clarke, several people * Arianna Clarke (born 1999), Australian rules footballer * Arthur C. Clarke (1917–2008), English science-fiction author, futurist, inventor and undersea explorer * Ashley Clarke (1903–1994), British ambassador to Italy, founder of the Venice in Peril Fund *

Austin Clarke (novelist) Austin Ardinel Chesterfield "Tom" Clarke, (July 26, 1934 – June 26, 2016), was a Barbadian novelist, essayist, and short story writer who was based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Among his notable books are novels such as ''The Polished Hoe'' (2 ...

(1934–2016), Barbadian novelist, essayist and short-story writer * Austin Clarke (poet) (1896–1974), Irish poet *

Basil Clarke Sir Thomas Basil Clarke (12 August 1879 – 12 December 1947) was an English war correspondent during the First World War and is regarded as the UK's first public relations professional. Early life Born in Altrincham, the son of a chemist, ...

(1879–1947), British writer and newspaper war correspondent * Bertie Clarke (1918–1993), West Indian cricketer * Bethia Clarke (1867–1959), British artist * Bill or Billy Clarke – see William Clarke (disambiguation) * Bob Clarke (disambiguation) * Bobbie Clarke (1940–2014), British rock drummer * Bobby Clarke (born 1949), Canadian ice hockey player *

Brian Clarke Sir Brian Clarke (born 2 July 1953) is a British Painting, painter, architectural artist, designer and Printmaking, printmaker, known for his large-scale stained glass and mosaic projects, symbolist paintings, set designs, and collaborations w ...

(born 1953), British architectural artist and painter * Brandon Clarke (born 1996), Canadian basketball player * Bruce B. G. Clarke (born 1943), US Army officer, author and consultant * Bruce C. Clarke (1901–1988), American general * Buck Clarke (1933–1988), American jazz percussionist * C. Clarke (1837 English cricketer), English cricketer * C. Clarke (Sheffield cricketer), English cricketer * Caitlin Clarke (1952–2004), American actress * Cam Clarke (born 1957), American voice actor * Campbell Clarke (1835–1902), British journalist * Carter Clarke (1896–1987), American brigadier general * Caspar Purdon Clarke (1846–1911), English architect and museum director * Catherine Clarke, British historian * Catherine Goddard Clarke (1900–1968), American Catholic writer and religious community founder * Cecil Vandepeer Clarke (1897–1961), British soldier and inventor * Charles Clarke (disambiguation) * Charlotte Clarke, Scottish academic researching dementia * Chris Clarke (disambiguation) * Claire D. Clarke (d. 2022), American politician * Clem S. Clarke (1897–1967), American oilman and politician * Coty Clarke (born 1992), American basketball player in the Israeli National League * Cyril Clarke (1907–2000), English physician and medical researcher *

Darren Clarke Darren Christopher Clarke (born 14 August 1968) is a professional golfer from Northern Ireland who currently plays on the PGA Tour Champions and has previously played on the European Tour and PGA Tour. He has won 21 tournaments worldwide on ...

(born 1968), Northern Irish golfer *

, Co Louth Gaa Footballer * David Clarke (disambiguation) * Dean Clarke (disambiguation) * Denzel Clarke (born 2000), Canadian baseball player * Dominic Clarke (born 1997), Australian trampoline gymnast * Don or Donald Clarke (disambiguation) * Dora Clarke (1895–1989), English artist * Doug or Douglas Clarke (disambiguation) * Drew Clarke, Australian public servant * Dudley Clarke (1899–1974), British intelligence officer * Eddie Clarke (musician) (1950–2018), British guitarist and podcaster *

Edith Clarke Edith Clarke (February 10, 1883 – October 29, 1959) was an American engineer and academic. She was the first woman to be professionally employed as an electrical engineer in the United States and the first female professor of electrical engi ...

(1883–1959), American electrical engineer and professor * Edmund M. Clarke (1945–2020), American computer scientist * Edward Clarke (disambiguation) * Edwin Clarke (1919–1996), British neurologist and medical historian * Ellis Clarke (1917–2010), lawyer, diplomat, Governor General, President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago *

Emilia Clarke Emilia Isobel Euphemia Rose Clarke (born 23 October 1986) is an English actress, best known for her role as Daenerys Targaryen in the HBO fantasy series ''Game of Thrones'' (2011–2019), for which she received nominations for four Primetime E ...

(born 1986), English actress * Ernest Clarke (1856–1923), English historian of agriculture * Eva Clarke (born 1945), British-Czech Holocaust survivor * Frank Clarke (disambiguation), also Francis and Franklin * George Clarke (disambiguation) * Gillian Clarke (born 1937), Welsh poet * Goland Vanhalt Clarke (1875–1944), British Army brigadier-general, big game hunter, naturalist *

Gordon Luke Clarke Gordon Luke Clarke, also known as Luke, was a New Zealand fashion designer based in London during the 1970s. Clarke was born in Auckland on 9 August 1945 to a Scottish father and Māori mother. At the age of 18, he went to work for the British c ...

(born 1945), New Zealand-born 1970s fashion designer * Graeme Clarke (born 2001), American ice hockey player * Harold Clarke (disambiguation) * Harry Clarke (disambiguation) * Helen Clarke (disambiguation) *

Henri Jacques Guillaume Clarke Henri-Jacques-Guillaume Clarke, 1st comte d'Hunebourg, 1st duc de Feltre (; 17 October 1765 – 28 October 1818), was a French military officer, diplomat, and politician of Irish origin who served as Minister of War (France)#First Empire, Minister ...

(1765–1818), Franco-Irish general under Napoleon I * Henry Clarke (disambiguation) * Heroy Clarke, Jamaican politician * Horace Clarke (born 1940–2020), Virgin Islander Major League Baseball player * Hyde Clarke (1815–1895), English engineer, philologist and author * Ian Clarke (disambiguation) * Jacob Augustus Lockhart Clarke (1817–1880), British neurologist * James Clarke (disambiguation), also Jim Clarke * Jason Clarke (born 1969), Australian actor * Jay Clarke (disambiguation) * Jennie Thornley Clarke (–?), American educator, writer, anthologist * Jennifer Ward Clarke (1935–2015), British cellist *

Jeremiah Clarke Jeremiah Clarke (c. 1674 – 1 December 1707) was an English baroque composer and organist, best known for his ''Trumpet Voluntary,'' a popular piece often played at wedding ceremonies or commencement ceremonies. Biography The exact date of Cla ...

(1674–1707), English baroque composer * Jeremy Clarke (disambiguation) * John Clarke (disambiguation) * Justine Clarke (born 1971), Australian actress and singer * Katie Rose Clarke (born 1984), American musical theatre actress * Kathleen Clarke (1878–1972), Irish political activist *

Kenneth Clarke Kenneth Harry Clarke, Baron Clarke of Nottingham (born 2 July 1940) is a British politician who served as Home Secretary from 1992 to 1993 and Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1993 to 1997. A member of the Conservative Party (UK), Conservative ...

(born 1940), British politician; Chancellor of the Exchequer * Lennox Clarke (born 1991), English professional boxer * Lige Clarke (1942−1975), American LGBT activist, journalist and author * Luther W. Clarke (1825–1869), American politician * Lydia Clarke (1923–2018), American actress and photographer * Mae Clarke (1910–1992), American actress * Malcolm Clarke (disambiguation) *

Marcus Clarke Marcus Andrew Hislop Clarke (24 April 1846 – 2 August 1881) was an English-born Australian novelist, journalist, poet, editor, librarian, and playwright. He is best known for his 1874 novel ''For the Term of His Natural Life'', about the con ...

(1846–1881), Australian novelist * Maree Clarke, Australian multidisciplinary artist and educator * Martin Clarke (disambiguation) * Mary Clarke (disambiguation) * Matthew Clarke (disambiguation), also Matt Clarke *

Maura Clarke Maura Clarke, MM (January 13, 1931 – December 2, 1980), was an American Maryknoll Sisters, Maryknoll Sister who served as a missionary in Nicaragua and El Salvador. She worked with the poor and refugees in Central America from 1959 until her mu ...

(1931–1980), American nun, martyr, killed in El Salvador * Maurice Gordon Clarke (1877–1944), American football and baseball player and coach * Megan Clarke, American cancer epidemiologist * Michael Clarke (disambiguation), also Mike Clarke * Mitch Clarke (born 1985), Canadian mixed martial artist * Mitch Clarke (basketball) (born 1999), Australian basketball player * Nancy Clarke (entrepreneur) (died 1811 or 1812), Barbadian hotelier and free woman of colour * Naomi Clarke, (born 1982), New Zealand soccer player * Nevelle Clarke (born 1996), American football player * Nig Clarke (1882–1949), American baseball player * Nobby Clarke (1907–1981), English footballer *

Noel Clarke Noel Anthony Clarke (born 6 December 1975) is an English actor, writer, director and producer. Rising to prominence for playing Mickey Smith in ''Doctor Who'' (2005–2006, 2008, 2010), he received critical acclaim for writing, directing, and ...

(born 1975), British actor, director and screenwriter * Norm Clarke (1942–2025), American journalist * Olive Clarke (1922–2023), English farmer and public figure * Patrick Clarke, (born 1965), Irish actor, director, producer and screenwriter * Pauline Clarke (1921–2013), British writer * Peter Clarke (disambiguation) * Philip Clarke (disambiguation) *

Powhatan Henry Clarke Powhatan Henry Clarke (October 9, 1862 – July 21, 1893) was a United States Army First lieutenant#United States, first lieutenant who was a recipient of the Medal of Honor during the Apache Wars#Geronimo's War, Geronimo Campaign in Sonora, Mex ...

(1862–1893), United States Army first lieutenant, recipient of the Medal of Honor during the Indian Wars * Ralph Clarke (mayor) (died 1660), mayor of Chesterfield, 1598 * Rebecca Clarke (disambiguation) * Richard Clarke (disambiguation) * Robert Clarke (disambiguation) * Roger Clarke (disambiguation) * Rotnei Clarke (born 1989), American basketball player * Rozlyne Clarke (born 1967), Australian make-up artist, musical theatre actor and dance music singer * Ryan Clarke (disambiguation) * Samuel Clarke (disambiguation) * Sarah Clarke (disambiguation) * Sharon D. Clarke (born 1966), English actress and singer * Sidney Clarke (1831–1909), American politician * Simon Clarke (disambiguation) *

Stanley Clarke Stanley Clarke (born June 30, 1951) is an American bassist, composer and founding member of Return to Forever, one of the first jazz fusion bands. Clarke gave the bass guitar a prominence it lacked in jazz-related music. He is the first jazz-fus ...

(born 1951), American double bass and bass guitar musician * Stephen or Steve Clarke – see Stephen Clark (disambiguation) * Susanna Clarke (born 1959), British novelist (''Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell'') * Sylvester Clarke, (1954–1999), West Indian cricketer * Taylor Clarke (born 1993), American baseball player * Terrel E. Clarke (1920–1997), American businessman and politician * Theo Clarke (born 1985), British Member of Parliament elected 2019 * Theophilus Clarke (1776?–1831), English painter * Tom or Thomas Clarke (disambiguation) * Troy Clarke (disambiguation) * Vince Clarke (born 1960), British musician with the band Erasure * Wayne Clarke (broadcaster) (born 1961), British Christian minister * Wayne Clarke (footballer) (born 1961), English former footballer * William Clarke (disambiguation) * Yvette D. Clarke (born 1964), American politician, member of the United States House of Representatives * Hannah Clarke/Baxter (1988–2020), Australian sportsperson and murder victim

Fictional characters

* Christian Clarke, in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' * Franklin Clarke, in Agatha Christie's novel '' The A.B.C. Murders'' *

Isaac Clarke Isaac Clarke is a character in the survival horror media franchise ''Dead Space (franchise), Dead Space'', owned and published by Electronic Arts. He was introduced as the protagonist of ''Dead Space (2008 video game), Dead Space'' (2008) develop ...

, main protagonist of the ''Dead Space'' video game series * Linda Clarke, in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' * Roger Clarke (EastEnders), in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' * Ryan Clarke, recurring character in the American television series '' Legacies'' * Shane Clarke, in the ''Power Rangers Ninja Storm''

References

{{surname, Clarke Occupational surnames English-language surnames English-language occupational surnames Surnames of Irish origin Surnames of English origin