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Origins of the Clark surname

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What does the name Clark mean?

The Clark name and its variants have been found in England dating back to the 1100s (where it is the 14th most common in Scotland, and 27th most prevalent in England). Clark is an occupational surname that has appeared independently in a number of places across the country. It comes from the Latin word 'clericus', referring to someone who was educated, a scholar (perhaps in a holy order), secretary or scribe.

Alternative variations of the name Clark

Clark, Clarke, Clerk, Clerke, Clarks

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Where do most Clarks live?

In 1921, most Clarks lived in London.


Census records trace your ancestors through each generation, so you can follow where your relatives lived through each decade.

Interesting facts about Clarks

How common is your surname?

23rd most common surname in the UK

We have 851,000 records for the Clark surname. The oldest one dates back to 1220.

Who were Clarks most likely to marry?

Smiths

&

Browns

Our Marriage record sets tell us which families married Clarks.

What are the most common Clark first names?

  • John
  • William
  • Mary
  • Elizabeth

Our birth record sets tell us the names of Clark family members

Common jobs for Clarks

Men and women often performed different types of jobs, so these are displayed by gender to maintain their historical accuracy.

Common Female occupations for Clarks in 1921
Dressmaker

3,896

Domestic Servant

2,576

Laundress

2,382

General Servant Domestic

1,891

House Servant

1,873

Common Male occupations for Clarks in 1921
Agricultural Labourer

4,797

General Labourer

3,485

Coal Miner

3,415

Farmer

2,464

Farm Labourer

2,360

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Census records provide incredible detail on names, ages, marital statuses, occupations and more.

We found over 1,400,000 family trees with the Clark surname

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