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{{About|the surname Clark|the given name|Clark (given name)|other uses}}
{{Infobox surname
|name = Clark
|image=File:Tavernier Jean Mielot.jpg 
|caption= A scribe or clerk, the occupation from which the name derives
|pronunciation =
|meaning = [[Clerk (position)|Clerk]], scribe, secretary
|region = England
|languageorigin = Old English
|variant = [[Clarke]], [[Clerk (surname)|Clerk]], [[O'Cleary]], [[Cleary (surname)|Cleary]]
|footnotes =Frequency Comparisons<ref name=BRE>{{cite web |url=http://forebears.co.uk/surnames/clark |title=Clark Surname Meaning, Origins & Distribution |website=Forebears.co.uk |access-date=2017-06-14 |archive-date=2017-06-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170611080558/http://forebears.co.uk/surnames/clark |url-status=live }}</ref>
}}
'''Clark''' is an [[English language]] [[surname]] with historical links to England, Scotland, and Ireland,<ref>Clarke coat of arms, family crest and family history". irishsurnames.com. Retrieved 30 December 2007.</ref> ultimately derived from the [[Latin language|Latin]] ''clericus'' meaning "scribe", "secretary" or a scholar within a religious order, referring to someone who was educated. ''Clark'' evolved from "[[clerk (position)|clerk]]". The first records of the name are found in 12th-century England. The name has many variants.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.surnamedb.com/surname.aspx?name=Clark |title=Surname Clark |website=Surnamedb.com |access-date=2008-02-05 |archive-date=2009-01-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090113214403/http://www.surnamedb.com/surname.aspx?name=Clark |url-status=live }}</ref> It is often used as the Anglicized variant of Irish [[O'Cleary]], [[Cleary (surname)|Cleary]].

''Clark'' is the twenty-seventh most common surname in the [[United Kingdom]],<ref name=BRE/> including placing fourteenth in Scotland.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/statistics-and-data/statistics/statistics-by-theme/vital-events/births/popular-names/archive/100-most-common-surnames |title=100 Most Common Surnames &#124; National Records of Scotland |website=Nrscotland.gov.uk |date=2014-09-25 |access-date=2017-06-14 |archive-date=2017-07-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170702055850/https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/statistics-and-data/statistics/statistics-by-theme/vital-events/births/popular-names/archive/100-most-common-surnames |url-status=live }}</ref> Clark is also an occasional [[given name]], as in the case of [[Clark Gable]].

According to the [[1990 United States census]], ''Clark'' was the twenty-first most frequently encountered surname, accounting for 0.23% of the population.<ref>[[United States Census Bureau]] (9 May 1995). [[s:1990 Census Name Files/dist.all.last (1-100)]]. Retrieved on 2021-07-27.</ref> According to the [[2010 United States census]], ''Clark'' was the thirtieth most frequent surname, with a count of 562,679.<ref>[[United States Census Bureau]] (October 8, 2021). [https://www.census.gov/topics/population/genealogy/data/2010_surnames.html]. Retrieved on 2025-02-11</ref>

==Disambiguation pages==
*[[Andrew Clark (disambiguation)]] 
*[[Anne Clark (disambiguation)]]
*[[Brian Clark (disambiguation)]]
*[[Cameron Clark (disambiguation)]]
*[[Charles Clark (disambiguation)]]
*[[Chris Clark (disambiguation)]]
*[[Clive Clark (disambiguation)]]
*[[Colin Clark (disambiguation)]]
*[[Douglas Clark (disambiguation)]]
*[[David Clark (disambiguation)]]
*[[Dick Clark (disambiguation)]]
*[[Edward Clark (disambiguation)]]
*[[Eugene Clark (disambiguation)]]
*[[George Clark (disambiguation)]]
*[[Gregory Clark (disambiguation)]]
*[[Jack Clark (disambiguation)]]
*[[James Clark (disambiguation)]]
*[[Jason Clark (disambiguation)]]
*[[Jeff Clark (disambiguation)]]
*[[Jim Clark (disambiguation)]]
*[[John Clark (disambiguation)]]
*[[Jonathan Clark (disambiguation)]]
*[[Jordan Clark (disambiguation)]]
*[[Joseph Clark (disambiguation)]]
*[[Kate Clark (disambiguation)]]
*[[Ken Clark (disambiguation)]]
*[[Kenneth Clark (disambiguation)]]
*[[Lee Clark (disambiguation)]]
*[[Mary Clark (disambiguation)]]
*[[Paul Clark (disambiguation)]]
*[[Robert Clark (disambiguation)]]
*[[Ryan Clark (disambiguation)]]
*[[Sally Clark (disambiguation)]]
*[[Samuel Clark (disambiguation)]]
*[[Simon Clark (disambiguation)]]
*[[Terry Clark (disambiguation)]]
*[[Thomas Clark (disambiguation)]]
*[[William Clark (disambiguation)]]

==Arts and literature==
* Alton Dorian Clark (born 1984), better known as American hip-hop musician [[Dorian (rapper)|Dorian]]
*[[Ann Clarke (artist)|Ann Clarke]] (born 1944), Canadian artist
* Annie Erin Clark, better known under her stage name [[St. Vincent (musician)]] (born 1982), American singer, songwriter, and musician
*[[Appleton P. Clark Jr.]] (1865–1955), American architect
*[[Blake Clark]] (born 1946), American actor and stand-up comedian
*[[Bob Clark]] (Benjamin "Bob" Clark) (1939–2007), American director
*[[Buddy Clark]] (1911–1949), American singer
*[[Catherine Clark (broadcaster)|Catherine Clark]] (born 1976), Canadian television host
*[[Clark (musician)]] (born 1979), British musician, who is also known as Chris Clark
*[[Christian Clark]] (born 1978), Australian actor
*[[Claudine Clark]] (born 1941), American R&B singer and performer of the 1962 hit record "Party Lights"
*[[Dane Clark]] (1912–1998), American character actor
*[[Dave Clark (musician)]] (born 1939), English drummer of The Dave Clark Five
* Dorothy Park Clark (1899–1983), American novelist who wrote under the pen name [[Clark McMeekin]]
*[[Dodie Clark]] (born 1995), English musician, YouTuber, and author
*[[Donté Clark]], American poet, actor
*[[Ernest Clark]] (1912–1994), British actor
*[[Felicia Buttz Clark]] (1862–1931), American writer
*[[Florence Anderson Clark]] (1835–1918), American author, newspaper editor, librarian, university dean
*[[Gladys Clark]] (1918–2011), Cajun spinner and weaver
*[[Guy Clark]] (1941–2016), American musician, songwriter, recording artist, and performer
*[[Harriet E. Clark]] (1850–1945), American teacher and author 
*[[Helen Taggart Clark]] (1849–1918), American journalist, poet
*[[Hilda Clark (soprano)]] (1872–1932), American soprano, actress, model, and Coca-Cola advertising spokesperson
*[[Hilda Margery Clarke]] (1926–2022), English painter and curator
*[[Jean Clark (artist)]] (1902–1999), English artist 
*[[Joseph Benwell Clark]] (1857–1938), English artist 
*[[Joshua Clark]], (born 1980), American writer
*[[Ken Clark (actor)]], (1921–2009), American actor
*[[Laura Lee Clark]] (born 1964), American interior designer
*[[Leah Clark]], American voice actor
*[[Libby Clark]] (1917–2012), American journalist
*[[Louis Clark]] (1947–2021), musician and conductor with The Orchestra (successor band to ELO and ELO Part II)
*[[Maudemarie Clark]] (born 1945), American philosopher
*[[Petula Clark]] (born 1932), British singer, actress, and songwriter
*[[Robin Clark (pop singer)]], (born 1949), 1960s American pop singer
*[[Roy Clark]] (1933–2018), American singer and musician
*[[Spencer Treat Clark]] (born 1987), American actor
*[[Stephen R. L. Clark]] (born 1945), English philosopher
*[[Steve Clark]] (1960–1991), British guitarist for Def Leppard
*[[Terri Clark]] (born 1968), Canadian singer
*[[Tom Clark (journalist)]], Canadian television journalist
*[[Vicky A. Clark]], American art curator
*[[Vinnie B. Clark]] (1878–1971), American educator and author
*[[Wallis Clark]] (1882–1961), English actor
*[[William Clark (artist)]] (1803–1883), Scottish artist

==Business==
*[[Allen George Clark]] (1898–1962), British businessman
*[[Arnold Clark]] (1927–2017), Scottish businessman
* [[Daniel Clark Sr.]] (1732–1800), Irish-American businessman 
*[[Jonas Gilman Clark]] (1815–1900), American businessman and the founder of Clark University
*[[Lance Clark]] (1936–2018), English businessman, of the shoe retailers Clarks
*[[Myron Henry Clark]] (1881–1953), American management consultant 
*[[Shawn M. Clark]] (born {{circa|1964}}), American organizational theorist

==Politics and law==
*[[Abraham Clark]] (1725–1794), American politician and Revolutionary War figure
*[[Alan Clark]] (1928–1999), British Conservative politician and author, son of Kenneth Clark
*[[Alistair Clark, Lord Clark]] ({{floruit|2016}}), Scottish judge, senator of the College of Justice
*[[Augusta Clark]] (1932–2013), American librarian, lawyer and politician
*[[Barbara M. Clark]] (1939–2016), New York politician
*[[Benjamin S. W. Clark]] (1829–1912), a New York politician
*[[Billy J. Clark]] (1778–1866), a New York physician and politician 
*[[Boyd A. Clark]] (1918–1978), an American politician and jurist
*[[Chantelle Nickson-Clark]], American politician
*[[Darius Clark]] (1798–1871), New York physician and politician
*[[Frank M. Clark]] (1915–2003), American Congressman
*[[Gavin Brown Clark]] (1846–1930), MP for Caithness
*[[Greenleaf Clark]] (1835–1904), American jurist
*[[Helen Clark]] (born 1950), prime minister of New Zealand from 1999 to 2008
*[[Horace Clark (assemblyman)]], 1830s New York politician
*[[Horace F. Clark]] (1815–1873), US Congressman from New York
*[[Isabella Clark]] (1809–1857), wife of Prime Minister of Canada Sir John A. Macdonald
*[[Janet H. Clark]] (born 1941), Minnesota politician
*[[Joe Clark]] (born 1939), former prime minister of Canada
*[[Karen Clark (American politician)|Karen Clark]] (born 1945), American politician from Minnesota
*[[Karen Clark (British politician)|Karen Clark]], British politician and the mayor of North Tyneside, England
*[[Katy Clark]] (born 1967), Scottish politician and trade union official
*[[Kelly Clark (lawyer)]] (1957–2013), American lawyer
*[[Marcia Clark]] (born 1953), American lawyer and author
*[[Maureen Harding Clark]] (born 1946), Irish jurist
*[[Myron H. Clark]] (1806–1892), governor of New York
*[[Newcomb Clark]] (1840–1913), Michigan politician
*[[Orville Clark]] (1801–1862), New York politician
*[[Ramsey Clark]] (1927–2021), US attorney general and activist
*[[Rita Clark]] (1915–2008), member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
*[[Satterlee Clark]], American politician
*[[Septima Poinsette Clark]] (1898–1987), American educator and voting registration leader
* Sir [[Terence Clark]] (born 1934), British retired diplomat and writer
*[[Tom C. Clark]] (1899–1977), US attorney general, U.S. Supreme Court justice
*[[Zenas Clark]] (1795–1864), New York politician

==Science and medicine==
*[[Adam Clark (meteorologist)|Adam Clark]], American meteorologist
*[[Benjamin Preston Clark]] (1860–1939), an American entomologist
*[[Bracy Clark]] (1771–1860), English veterinary surgeon specialising in the horse
*[[Cynthia Clark]] (born 1942), American statistician
*[[Daniel Kinnear Clark]] (1822–1896), Scottish railway mechanical engineer
*[[Duncan W. Clark]] (1910–2007), American public health specialist
*[[Gerry Clark]] (1927–1999), New Zealand sailor and ornithologist
*[[Grahame Clark]] (1907–1995), British archaeologist
*[[Hamlet Clark]] (1823–1867), English entomologist
*[[Hilda Clark (doctor)]] (1881–1955), Quaker physician and humanitarian
*[[Hubert Lyman Clark]] (1870–1947), American zoologist
*[[Jeanne Clark]], American internist and physician-scientist
*[[Judson Freeman Clark]] (1870–1942), Canadian forester and mycologist
*[[Kara Clark]], American wind turbine researcher
*[[Leslie J. Clark]] (1924–2003), British engineer and founder of Parvalux
*[[Lynn G. Clark]] (born 1956), American botanist
*[[Noel A. Clark]] (born 1940), American physicist
*[[Wilfrid Le Gros Clark]] (1895–1971), British palaeoanthropologist
*[[Judy MacArthur Clark]], British veterinarian

==Sports==
*[[Alijah Clark]] (born 2003), American football player
*[[Alysha Clark]] (born 1987), American-Israeli basketball player
*[[Babe Clark]], American football player
*[[Bobby Clark (footballer, born 2005)]]
*[[Caitlin Clark]] (born 2002), American basketball player
*[[Calum Clark]] (born 1989), English rugby union player
*[[Carmel Clark]] (born 1965), New Zealand swimmer
*[[Chuck Clark]] (born 1995), American football player
*[[Chuck Clark (ice hockey)]] (1891–1970), British-born Canadian ice hockey player
*[[Ciaran Clark]] (born 1989), Irish football player
*[[Clarence Clark (tennis)|Clarence Clark]] (1859–1937), American tennis player
*[[Cora Mildred Maris Clark]] (1885–1967), New Zealand hockey player and nurse
*[[Corrie Clark]] (born 1982), American breaststroke swimmer
*[[Dallas Clark]], American football player
*[[Damone Clark]] (born 2000), American football player
*[[Daniel Clark (basketball)|Daniel Clark]] (born 1988), British basketball player
*[[Darion Clark]] (born 1994), American football player
*[[Duncan Clark (athlete)]] (1915–2003), Scottish hammer thrower
*[[Dwight Clark]] (1957–2018), American football player
*[[Earl Clark]] (born 1988), American basketball player
*[[Elky Clark]] (1898–1956), Scottish boxer of the 1920s 
*[[Emily Clark (ice hockey)|Emily Clark]] (born 1995), Canadian ice hockey player
*[[Erin Clark]] (born 1993) sailor, cadet class world champion 
*[[Frank Clark (footballer)]], English football player
*[[Ginger Clark]] (1879–1943), American baseball pitcher
*[[Glenn Clark]] (born 1969), Canadian coach of Toronto Rock
*[[Hannah Clark]] (born 1990), English cricketer
*[[Hudson Clark]] (born 2001), American football player
*[[Jaylen Clark]] (born 2001), American basketball player
*[[Jenna Clark]] (born 2001), Scottish footballer
*[[Jeremy Clark (defensive back)]] (born 1994), American football player
*[[Jerrod Clark]] (born 1999), American football player
*[[Kei'Trel Clark]] (born 2001), American football player
*[[Kelly Clark]] (born 1983), American snowboarder
*[[Kihei Clark]] (born 2000), American–Filipino basketball player<!--US-born; American father, Filipino mother-->
*[[Le'Raven Clark]] (born 1993), American football player
*[[Leon Clark (basketball)]], American basketball player
*[[Lex Clark]] (1943–2025), New Zealand rower
*[[Ocky Clark]] (born 1960), American middle-distance runner
*[[Otey Clark]] (1915–2010), American baseball pitcher
*[[R. Foster Clark]], American college sports coach
*[[Ranza Clark]] (born 1961), Canadian middle-distance runner
*[[Roger Clark (rally driver)]], British rally driver
*[[Sherm Clark]] (1899–1980), American Olympic rower and rear admiral
*[[Stuart Clark]] (born 1975), Australian cricketer
*[[Wendel Clark]] (born 1966), retired Canadian ice hockey player
*[[Will Clark]] (born 1964), American baseball player
*[[Zoey Clark]] (born 1994), British sprinter

==Other==
*[[Alice Clark (historian)]] (1874–1934), English suffragist and historian
*[[Annie W. Clark]] (1843–1907), American social reformer
*[[Alister Clark]] (1864–1949), Australian rose-breeder
*[[Clark Olofsson]] (born 1947), Swedish criminal
*[[Davis Wasgatt Clark]] (1812–1871), American bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church
*[[Felton Grandison Clark]] (1903–1970), African-American university president
*[[Graham Clark (tenor)]] (1941–2023), English tenor
*[[Hadden Clark]] (born 1952), American serial killer 
*[[Harold M. Clark]] (1890–1919), American army major
*[[Hugh Massey Clark]] (1886–1956), New York philatelist
*[[Hulda Regehr Clark]], (1928–2009), alternative medicine practitioner
*[[Joseph Samuel Clark]] (1871–1944), African-American university president
*[[Manning Clark]] (1915–1991), Australian historian
*[[Mark W. Clark]] (1896–1984), American army general in World War 2 (Italy) and the Korean War
*[[Nada Hazel Clark]] (1922–1964), New Zealand trade unionist
*[[Nancy B. Clark]], Massachusetts philatelist, president of Cardinal Spellman Philatelic Museum
*[[R. Scott Clark]] (born 1961) American seminary professor
*[[Theresa Mathilde Clark]] ({{circa|1890}}–1953), New York philatelist, spouse of Hugh Massey Clark
*[[Wesley Clark]] (born 1944), American army general in the Vietnam War and Kosovo
*[[Carlos Clark Van Leer]] (1865–1953), American military officer

==Fictional characters==
* David Clark, a character in the 2013 American crime comedy movie ''[[We're the Millers#Cast|We're the Millers]]''
*[[John Clark (Tom Clancy character)]], character in Tom Clancy's Ryanverse
*Lea Clark, [[American Girl]] character, "Girl of the Year" for 2016
*[[Tracy Clark (90210)]], fictional character from The CW primetime drama ''90210''
*[[Clark Kent]], secret identity of DC Superhero Superman
*[[Clark Griswold]], fictional character from ''National Lampoon's Vacation'' film series.

==See also==
*[[The Clark Sisters]], American gospel vocalists from Detroit
*[[Clark (TV series)]], Swedish TV drama series produced by Netflix 
*[[Clark (taxonomic authority)]]
*[[Justice Clark (disambiguation)]]
*[[Karen Clark Sheard]] (born 1960), American Grammy Award-winning singer
*Clark Virgil Smith, Black Labrador Retriever owned by Samantha Smith

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080820095509/http://htmlsd.com/ Clark(e) Surname DNA Project]
* {{wikispecies-inline}}
{{clark-surname}}
{{surname}}

[[Category:12th-century introductions]]
[[Category:English-language surnames]]
[[Category:Occupational surnames]]
[[Category:Surnames of English origin]]
[[Category:Surnames of Scottish origin]]
[[Category:English-language occupational surnames]]