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Clark as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Clark

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The baby name Clark is a Male name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced /klɑrk/ (US), /klɑːk/ (UK); respelling: KLARK.

Clark is English in Origin.

Gender: Male
Syllables: 1.0
Origin: English
Pronunciation: /klɑrk/ (US), /klɑːk/ (UK); respelling: KLARK

What is the meaning of the name Clark ?

The baby name Clark is a Male name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced /klɑrk/ (US), /klɑːk/ (UK); respelling: KLARK.

Clark is English in Origin.

Clark stems from Latin clericus ("cleric, scholar") via Old French clerc and Middle English clark/clerk; in Scots, clerk was pronounced "clark," yielding the occupational surname for a scribe or churchman. In Ireland, the related Clarke/Clark can also reflect the Gaelic O Cleirigh, "descendant of the cleric." As a given name, Clark therefore carries the meanings "scribe," "scholar," "cleric," and by extension "learned" or "literate."

Used as a first name in the United States and Britain since the 18th–19th centuries, it gained familiar shine from explorer William Clark of the Lewis and Clark expedition and Hollywood idol Clark Gable; pop culture further cemented it through Superman's alter ego, Clark Kent. Variant spellings include Clarke and the rarer Clerke; diminutives such as Clarkie/Clarky appear in informal use. Today Clark reads brisk, tailored, and quietly traditional, with occasional unisex use.

Clark has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Clark

Clark Gable Actor · Born 1901 · United States Clark Gable was a famous American actor, best known for his role as Rhett Butler in the classic film 'Gone with the Wind'. He also starred in 'It Happened One Night' and 'Mutiny on the Bounty', showcasing his charismatic screen presence. Clark Gregg Actor · Born 1962 · United States Clark Gregg is an actor from the United States, best known for his role as Agent Phil Coulson in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including films like 'The Avengers' and the TV series 'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'. Clark Duke Actor · Born 1985 · United States Clark Duke is an American actor best known for his roles in the TV series 'Greek' and the film 'Hot Tub Time Machine'. He has also appeared in 'Kick-Ass' and directed the film 'Arkansas'.
Clarke Peters Actor · Born 1952 · United States Clarke Peters is an American actor best known for his role as Detective Lester Freamon in the critically acclaimed TV series The Wire. He also appeared in the film Da 5 Bloods and the musical Caroline, or Change. Clark Johnson Actor · Born 1954 · United States Clark Johnson is an American actor and director best known for his role as Detective Meldrick Lewis on the television series Homicide: Life on the Street. He also directed several episodes of The Wire and starred in the film S.W.A.T. as Deke Kay.

Clark – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Boys 2023 #1 — 807
KR Boys 0 #27 1 897
DJ Boys 0 #36 1 657
MO 0 #52 1 2,706
CM 0 #56 1 2,592
JP 0 #77 1 4,057
MV Boys 0 #78 2 3,375
CN 0 #82 5 3,857
JM 0 #93 1 3,714
PH 0 #102 9 5,607
SD 0 #102 1 2,130
TW 0 #102 2 4,523
QA 0 #103 4 7,011
GE Boys 0 #110 1 2,055
EC 0 #121 1 2,502
KW 0 #121 1 5,216
CY Boys 0 #131 1 3,473
Switzerland Boys 2024 #136 2 1,769
MU 0 #137 1 3,613
BW Girls 0 #151 1 4,216
BW Boys 0 #154 1 4,685
RS Boys 0 #154 1 2,277
CR 0 #163 3 5,526
PR Girls 0 #167 1 3,171
HU Boys 0 #174 1 3,954
MT Boys 0 #179 1 4,064
AE 0 #182 6 10,220
CZ 0 #186 1 3,154
TW Boys 0 #197 45 7,111
MO Boys 0 #202 22 5,842
Canada Boys 2024 #210 99 2,588
BG Boys 0 #220 1 3,850
PH Boys 0 #220 179 11,440
CN Boys 0 #223 100 9,639
IR 0 #231 1 4,221
BD 0 #241 1 5,992
GH 0 #247 2 5,396
AO Boys 0 #249 1 5,568
NA Boys 0 #252 2 6,830
MO Girls 0 #255 9 7,056
HR Boys 0 #259 1 3,997
NG 0 #266 7 5,926
GR Boys 0 #273 1 6,912
SG 0 #275 8 11,010
SA 0 #285 11 10,560
TW Girls 0 #289 1 8,139
JM Boys 0 #292 2 6,876
JP Boys 0 #298 6 7,909
AL Boys 0 #303 1 5,122
CZ Boys 0 #305 1 6,530
GH Boys 0 #326 20 8,138
DK Boys 0 #327 6 7,401
PE 0 #328 2 6,350
DK Girls 0 #329 1 7,429
JO Girls 0 #339 1 7,570
PL Boys 0 #339 2 6,459
QA Girls 0 #339 5 15,378
HK 0 #349 9 8,483
CZ Girls 0 #351 1 5,378
MY 0 #352 3 12,352
CN Girls 0 #358 2 8,829
BR 0 #360 1 5,969
MU Girls 0 #360 3 8,539
MU Boys 0 #366 4 8,477
France Boys 2021 #373 15 2,865
PT Boys 0 #380 2 7,951
JO Boys 0 #385 5 7,057
United States Boys 2024 #387 725 7,044
BD Girls 0 #405 2 8,413
UY Boys 0 #409 5 5,922
EG 0 #412 1 6,387
OM Girls 0 #421 4 15,987
PH Girls 0 #423 7 13,098
CL 0 #434 1 6,867
MX 0 #444 2 8,339
PA Boys 0 #463 19 9,305
CR Boys 0 #465 23 10,188
SD Boys 0 #465 2 10,523
ZA 0 #469 6 14,421
HK Boys 0 #472 56 12,905
AR Boys 0 #481 3 7,628
GT Boys 0 #494 6 7,625
KW Girls 0 #500 16 19,177
CO 0 #508 3 7,768
RU Boys 0 #524 3 12,621
CM Boys 0 #531 20 12,054
PS Girls 0 #547 1 10,981
PS Boys 0 #557 5 10,655
LY 0 #559 1 12,703
CM Girls 0 #560 1 11,671
IR Boys 0 #564 2 10,162
CR Girls 0 #571 3 11,342
BH 0 #580 8 17,937
BO Boys 0 #582 11 9,244
AE Girls 0 #593 5 20,968
BD Boys 0 #601 5 10,045
IL Boys 0 #622 4 10,983
SG Girls 0 #627 6 18,916
CL Boys 0 #645 21 13,390
HK Girls 0 #648 3 16,104
BO Girls 0 #651 1 9,488
IN Girls 0 #654 1 13,121
SG Boys 0 #657 41 17,960
QA Boys 0 #682 26 18,093
LB 0 #687 4 13,263
IQ Boys 0 #695 3 13,071
BR Boys 0 #717 35 12,213
KW Boys 0 #736 34 18,755
NG Girls 0 #743 44 15,093
NG Boys 0 #760 196 16,906
SY 0 #767 1 11,684
PE Boys 0 #798 81 14,506
TN 0 #820 10 13,765
EG Boys 0 #859 28 15,035
MX Boys 0 #864 119 16,355
OM Boys 0 #866 16 17,948
CO Boys 0 #867 54 15,656
United States Girls 2024 #897 20 8,487
Spain Boys 0 #912 19 5,610
NL Boys 0 #912 40 5,873
CL Girls 0 #915 1 14,098
SA Girls 0 #916 20 25,931
Germany Boys 0 #924 29 5,697
EG Girls 0 #1,008 2 14,742
PE Girls 0 #1,010 1 14,861
IN Boys 0 #1,036 4 16,750
AE Boys 0 #1,045 48 22,615
MY Boys 0 #1,052 60 25,439
ZA Boys 0 #1,094 85 25,619
MA 0 #1,113 16 20,986
CO Girls 0 #1,149 4 16,140
DZ 0 #1,155 22 20,130
TR 0 #1,189 23 19,440
ZA Girls 0 #1,233 4 25,928
MX Girls 0 #1,262 6 17,781
IT Boys 0 #1,336 136 10,046
SA Boys 0 #1,415 200 28,008

Clark is popular in 77 countries — most recent births per country:

Scotland, United Kingdom
Canada
France
United States
Switzerland

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People also ask about Clark

Clark is predominantly a boy's name.
Clark is a one syllable name, pronounced /klɑrk/ (US), /klɑːk/ (UK); respelling: KLARK.
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Clarke.
Across languages, Clark has these equivalents: Clerc (French), Klerk / Klerck (Dutch/Afrikaans), Clericus (Latin).
Yes, very popular — Clark ranked #1 in Ireland in 2023, and appears in official birth registries across 6 countries.
Clark ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2023).
Clark's popularity is declining. It moved from #207 in 2014 to #210 in 2024 in Canada.
Yes — 5 notable people named Clark are in our database, including Clark Gable (Actor), Clark Gregg (Actor), Clark Duke (Actor).