NameCensus.

UK surname

Clark

An English occupational surname referring to a scribe, secretary, scholar, or member of the clergy.

In the 1881 census there were 90,143 people recorded with the Clark surname, ranking it #17 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 107,632, ranked #28, down from #17 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Allerdale, Sunderland and The Glens.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Clark is 112,441 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 19.4%.

1881 census count

90,143

Ranked #17

Modern count

107,632

2016, ranked #28

Peak year

1999

112,441 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Clark had 90,143 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 107,632 in 2016, ranked #28.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 103,834 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Clark surname distribution map

The map shows where the Clark surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Clark surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Clark over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 66,117 #12
1861 historical 69,133 #16
1881 historical 90,143 #17
1891 historical 97,066 #19
1901 historical 103,834 #21
1911 historical 89,871 #30
1997 modern 108,433 #26
1998 modern 111,767 #26
1999 modern 112,441 #26
2000 modern 111,728 #26
2001 modern 108,651 #26
2002 modern 110,603 #27
2003 modern 107,615 #27
2004 modern 107,347 #27
2005 modern 105,529 #27
2006 modern 105,409 #28
2007 modern 105,875 #28
2008 modern 106,288 #28
2009 modern 108,608 #28
2010 modern 110,775 #28
2011 modern 108,868 #28
2012 modern 106,873 #28
2013 modern 108,715 #28
2014 modern 109,483 #28
2015 modern 108,271 #28
2016 modern 107,632 #28

Geography

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Where Clarks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, St Pancras and Edinburgh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Allerdale, Sunderland, The Glens, Northumberland and Broughty Ferry West. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Edinburgh Edinburgh

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Allerdale 001 Allerdale
2 Sunderland 016 Sunderland
3 The Glens Dundee City
4 Northumberland 038 Northumberland
5 Broughty Ferry West Dundee City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Clark

These lists show first names that appear often with the Clark surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Clark

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Clark, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Clark surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Clark household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Clark is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Clark is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Clark falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Clark is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Clark, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Clark

The surname Clark is of English origin, derived from the occupational term "clerk" or "clericus" in medieval Latin. It emerged in the 12th century as a descriptive name for those employed as clerks, scribes, or scholars, often in religious or administrative roles.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Clericus" and "Le Clerc." These early forms reflect the name's direct link to the profession of clerks, who were responsible for record-keeping and administrative tasks.

During the Middle Ages, the name Clark spread across various regions of England, particularly in areas with significant ecclesiastical or governmental presence, such as London, Yorkshire, and Lincolnshire. As the name became more widespread, variations in spelling emerged, including Clarke, Clerke, and Clerques.

One notable figure bearing the name Clark was John Clark (c. 1370-1437), a renowned English mathematician and astronomer from Yorkshire. He was a Fellow of the University of Cambridge and authored several works on astronomical calculations and astrological tables.

Another prominent Clark was William Clark (1770-1838), the American explorer and co-leader of the famous Lewis and Clark Expedition. Together with Meriwether Lewis, he led the first American overland expedition to the Pacific coast, greatly expanding the knowledge of the western territories of the United States.

In literature, Samuel Clark (1675-1729) was an influential English philosopher and theologian. He is best known for his work "The Being and Attributes of God," which defended the existence of God and argued against the materialist philosophies of the time.

The name Clark has also been associated with several places, such as Clarkebury in Oxfordshire and Clark's Green in Buckinghamshire, which likely derived their names from individuals bearing the surname.

Another notable figure was Abraham Clark (1726-1794), a signer of the Declaration of Independence and a delegate to the Continental Congress from New Jersey during the American Revolutionary War.

Throughout history, the surname Clark has maintained its strong presence, with notable bearers from various fields, including politics, exploration, academia, and literature. Its origins as an occupational name reflect the importance of clerks and scribes in medieval society, and its enduring use is a testament to its historical significance.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Clark families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Clark surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 11,469 Clarks recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.31x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 11,469 1.31x
Yorkshire 7,464 0.86x
Surrey 5,342 1.25x
Lancashire 4,918 0.47x
Lanarkshire 4,182 1.47x
Essex 3,577 2.06x
Durham 3,397 1.30x
Kent 3,234 1.08x
Lincolnshire 2,487 1.77x
Aberdeenshire 2,117 2.60x
Angus 2,023 2.49x
Northumberland 1,931 1.48x
Hampshire 1,725 0.96x
Staffordshire 1,709 0.58x
Gloucestershire 1,674 0.97x
Midlothian 1,664 1.41x
Somerset 1,617 1.14x
Warwickshire 1,590 0.72x
Ayrshire 1,332 2.03x
Hertfordshire 1,289 2.13x
Sussex 1,255 0.85x
Nottinghamshire 1,186 1.00x
Derbyshire 1,053 0.77x
Renfrewshire 1,013 1.49x
Cumberland 1,010 1.34x
Devon 984 0.54x
Fife 984 1.89x
Suffolk 935 0.87x
Cheshire 900 0.46x
Leicestershire 898 0.92x
Cambridgeshire 862 1.55x
Buckinghamshire 821 1.55x
Bedfordshire 820 1.80x
Perthshire 808 2.05x
Berkshire 773 1.17x
Norfolk 756 0.56x
Northamptonshire 737 0.89x
Wiltshire 730 0.94x
Worcestershire 631 0.55x
Banffshire 480 2.64x
Dorset 438 0.76x
Argyllshire 435 1.78x
Kirkcudbrightshire 434 3.41x
Stirlingshire 387 1.20x
Glamorgan 376 0.25x
Oxfordshire 369 0.68x
Kincardineshire 368 3.44x
Westmorland 349 1.81x
Huntingdonshire 324 1.86x
Dumfriesshire 316 1.63x
Monmouthshire 316 0.50x
Dunbartonshire 306 1.30x
Cornwall 290 0.29x
Morayshire 267 1.96x
Inverness-shire 243 0.93x
Roxburghshire 234 1.47x
Shetland 188 2.10x
Herefordshire 186 0.52x
Shropshire 173 0.23x
West Lothian 169 1.28x
Berwickshire 104 0.98x
East Lothian 99 0.85x
Rutland 92 1.43x
Selkirkshire 90 1.13x
Wigtownshire 89 0.76x
Channel Islands 85 0.33x
Caithness 83 0.69x
Ross-shire 80 0.33x
Peeblesshire 77 1.86x
Buteshire 72 1.35x
Nairnshire 70 2.61x
Isle of Man 68 0.42x
Denbighshire 60 0.18x
Brecknockshire 57 0.32x
Clackmannanshire 57 0.79x
Royal Navy 52 0.50x
Flintshire 51 0.22x
Sutherland 36 0.53x
Carmarthenshire 34 0.09x
Pembrokeshire 29 0.10x
Kinross-shire 26 1.17x
Cardiganshire 16 0.07x
Orkney 13 0.13x
Montgomeryshire 10 0.05x
Merionethshire 9 0.06x
Caernarfonshire 5 0.01x
Anglesey 3 0.02x
Radnorshire 1 0.01x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 1,034 Clarks recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.21x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 1,034 1.21x
Barony 999 1.39x
St Pancras London 930 1.32x
Lambeth 927 1.21x
Govan 925 1.32x
Camberwell 883 1.57x
Glasgow 778 1.54x
Shoreditch London 678 1.78x
Hackney London 658 1.34x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 643 1.36x
Mile End Old Town London 643 3.44x
Birmingham 607 0.82x
Bethnal Green London 601 1.58x
West Ham 601 1.57x
Dundee 558 1.84x
St Marylebone London 553 1.18x
Leeds 534 1.09x
Kensington London 520 1.07x
Aberdeen Old Machar 467 2.75x
Newington 459 1.42x
Aston 399 0.65x
Bromley London 391 2.02x
Bermondsey 364 1.39x
Liff Benvie 359 2.91x
Holy Trinity 353 1.69x
Battersea 346 1.07x
Portsea 337 0.96x
Liverpool 323 0.51x
Paddington London 322 1.00x
Bishopwearmouth 305 1.36x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 304 2.00x
Deptford St Paul 303 1.31x
Gateshead 292 1.49x
Chelsea London 287 1.08x
St George Hanover Square 282 1.82x
Tottenham 279 2.00x
Westoe 270 1.82x
Southwark St George Martyr 268 1.52x
Brighton 255 0.85x
Poplar London 245 1.48x
Manchester 244 0.52x
Leicester St Margaret 240 1.01x
Everton 232 0.70x
Bedminster 218 1.64x
Hammersmith London 216 1.00x
Greenwich 215 1.54x
Toxteth Park 215 0.61x
Bradford 214 1.02x
Clerkenwell London 213 1.03x
Bothwell 212 2.75x
Montrose 210 4.26x
Rotherhithe 210 1.94x
Sedgley 206 1.87x
Croydon 204 0.86x
Sculcoates 202 1.46x
St George In East London 200 2.42x
Kilmarnock 199 2.54x
St Luke London 198 1.41x
Elswick 188 1.80x
Brightside Bierlow 187 1.10x
South Leith 187 1.41x
Salford 184 0.60x
Forfar 182 4.13x
Lewisham 179 1.12x
Barking 178 3.51x
West Greenock 174 1.42x
Southampton St Mary 171 1.51x
Nottingham St Mary 170 0.56x
West Derby 168 0.55x
Sheffield 166 0.60x
Walsall Foreign 164 1.07x
Blackburn 163 0.59x
Clapham 163 1.48x
Wolverhampton 163 0.72x
Hamilton 160 2.02x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 159 0.98x
Hornsey 159 1.43x
Fulham London 156 1.23x
Old Monkland 154 1.37x
Middlesbrough 153 1.35x
Abbey 150 1.44x
Limehouse London 150 1.56x
West Bromwich 147 0.87x
Barrow In Furness 145 1.02x
Dunfermline 144 1.80x
Hunslet 144 1.06x
Stockton On Tees 141 1.12x
Rathven 140 4.09x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Clark surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 4,668
Elizabeth 2,740
Sarah 2,509
Jane 1,544
Ann 1,383
Eliza 1,177
Emma 1,137
Ellen 1,071
Annie 1,010
Alice 961
Emily 854
Margaret 771
Hannah 670
Louisa 542
Martha 539
Harriet 453
Maria 445
Charlotte 411
Edith 409
Fanny 406
Caroline 400
Catherine 400
Florence 399
Ada 385
Kate 318
Clara 308
Isabella 292
Susan 287
Agnes 278
Lucy 270
Frances 266
Rose 247
Anne 237
Harriett 226
Rebecca 202
Esther 182
Amelia 180
Sophia 176
Matilda 173
Minnie 164
Julia 161
Jessie 160
Eleanor 150
Susannah 142
Elizth. 136
Amy 135
Gertrude 117
Lydia 105
Grace 101
Ethel 99

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Clark surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 4,595
John 4,037
George 2,738
Thomas 2,387
James 2,380
Henry 1,577
Charles 1,556
Joseph 1,213
Robert 1,002
Alfred 815
Edward 731
Frederick 665
Arthur 634
Richard 563
Walter 543
Samuel 528
Albert 451
Harry 399
Herbert 290
Ernest 269
Frank 245
David 237
Edwin 228
Wm. 213
Francis 207
Benjamin 186
Isaac 163
Daniel 148
Fred 135
Stephen 123
Thos. 116
Alexander 114
Geo. 107
Fredrick 104
Peter 104
Tom 101
Andrew 97
Sidney 87
Michael 86
Matthew 77
Patrick 77
Percy 72
Christopher 69
Chas. 61
Fredk. 61
Willm. 61
Philip 58
Jas. 55
Abraham 51
Sydney 51

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Clark households.

FAQ

Clark surname: questions and answers

How common was the Clark surname in 1881?

In 1881, 90,143 people were recorded with the Clark surname. That placed it at #17 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Clark surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 107,632 in 2016. That gives Clark a modern rank of #28.

What does the Clark surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to a scribe, secretary, scholar, or member of the clergy.

What does the Clark map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Clark bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.