NameCensus.

UK surname

Clerk

An occupational surname for a clerk, secretary, or scribe.

In the 1881 census there were 779 people recorded with the Clerk surname, ranking it #4,763 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 105, ranked #30,114, down from #4,763 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Leonard Shoreditch, Paddington and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rural South Midlothian, Stanley and Murthly and Mid Argyll.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Clerk is 2,945 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 86.5%.

1881 census count

779

Ranked #4,763

Modern count

105

2016, ranked #30,114

Peak year

1861

2,945 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Clerk had 779 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,763 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 105 in 2016, ranked #30,114.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,945 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Clerk surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Clerk surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Clerk 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 2,021 #1,435
1861 historical 2,945 #981
1881 historical 779 #4,763
1891 historical 853 #4,797
1901 historical 976 #4,850
1911 historical 490 #7,943
1997 modern 103 #26,498
1998 modern 102 #27,314
1999 modern 108 #26,602
2000 modern 107 #26,700
2001 modern 107 #26,328
2002 modern 112 #26,165
2003 modern 105 #26,940
2004 modern 95 #28,746
2005 modern 96 #28,671
2006 modern 93 #29,411
2007 modern 95 #29,493
2008 modern 93 #30,123
2009 modern 92 #30,820
2010 modern 98 #30,540
2011 modern 101 #29,938
2012 modern 104 #29,543
2013 modern 105 #29,916
2014 modern 105 #30,204
2015 modern 104 #30,269
2016 modern 105 #30,114

Geography

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Where Clerks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Leonard Shoreditch, Paddington, 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 Rural South Midlothian, Stanley and Murthly, Mid Argyll, Lambeth and Muirton. 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 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
2 Paddington London (West Districts)
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Edinburgh Edinburgh

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rural South Midlothian Midlothian
2 Stanley and Murthly Perth and Kinross
3 Mid Argyll Argyll and Bute
4 Lambeth 031 Lambeth
5 Muirton Perth and Kinross

Forenames

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First names often paired with Clerk

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Clerk

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Clerk, 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

Ageing Communities

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Clerk is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Clerk is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Clerk falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Clerk 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 Clerk, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Clerk

The surname Clerk has its origins in England, dating back to the 12th century. It is an occupational name derived from the Old English word "clerc" or "clerk," which referred to a scholar, priest, or someone employed in administrative or clerical duties, often in service to the church or nobility.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Clerk can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and property commissioned by William the Conqueror. This suggests that the name was already well-established in England by the late 11th century.

The name Clerk was particularly prevalent in the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex, where many early bearers of the name were employed in ecclesiastical or administrative roles. Over time, the spelling of the surname evolved to include variations such as Clarke, Clerke, and Clarke.

Notable bearers of the surname Clerk include John Clerk (c. 1370-1451), a Scottish landowner and judge who served as Lord Clerk Register of Scotland; William Clerke (c. 1495-1552), an English clergyman and scholar who translated several works from Greek into Latin; and Samuel Clarke (1675-1729), an influential English philosopher and theologian who made significant contributions to the study of natural theology and metaphysics.

Another prominent figure with the surname Clerk was Sir George Clerk (1786-1849), a Scottish landowner and politician who served as a Member of Parliament and played a significant role in the agricultural improvement of Scotland. In the 19th century, Sir George Clerk Maxwell (1819-1879), a Scottish landowner and scientist, made important contributions to the field of electromagnetism and became the first person to produce a permanent photographic image from an electromagnetic wave.

Throughout history, the surname Clerk has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including clergymen, scholars, landowners, and public servants, reflecting the diverse roles and occupations held by those who bore this name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Clerk families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Clerk 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 152 Clerks recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.01x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 152 2.01x
Lanarkshire 64 2.62x
Midlothian 57 5.63x
Lancashire 48 0.54x
Surrey 38 1.03x
Durham 32 1.42x
Argyllshire 30 14.26x
Yorkshire 29 0.39x
Northumberland 22 1.96x
Essex 21 1.41x
Fife 18 4.02x
Kent 18 0.70x
West Lothian 17 14.93x
Angus 16 2.28x
Devon 15 0.95x
Lincolnshire 13 1.08x
Ayrshire 12 2.12x
Worcestershire 12 1.22x
Aberdeenshire 11 1.57x
Shropshire 10 1.53x
Somerset 10 0.82x
Staffordshire 10 0.39x
Roxburghshire 9 6.57x
Norfolk 8 0.69x
Cheshire 7 0.42x
Stirlingshire 7 2.51x
Suffolk 7 0.76x
Berkshire 6 1.06x
Glamorgan 6 0.46x
Nottinghamshire 6 0.59x
Renfrewshire 6 1.02x
Warwickshire 6 0.31x
Dorset 5 1.01x
Cumberland 4 0.61x
Denbighshire 4 1.40x
Kirkcudbrightshire 4 3.66x
Perthshire 4 1.18x
Bedfordshire 3 0.77x
Hampshire 3 0.19x
Leicestershire 3 0.36x
Banffshire 2 1.28x
Carmarthenshire 2 0.63x
Gloucestershire 2 0.13x
Northamptonshire 2 0.28x
Sussex 2 0.16x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.21x
Cardiganshire 1 0.54x
Derbyshire 1 0.08x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.60x
Hertfordshire 1 0.19x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.67x
Inverness-shire 1 0.44x
Morayshire 1 0.85x
Oxfordshire 1 0.21x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.42x
Ross-shire 1 0.48x
Wigtownshire 1 1.00x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Edinburgh St Cuthberts in Midlothian leads with 30 Clerks recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.36x.

Place Total Index
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 30 7.36x
Islington London 27 3.68x
Barony 24 3.88x
Camberwell 17 3.52x
Glasgow 17 3.92x
Tottenham 14 11.63x
St Luke London 12 9.90x
Bradford 11 6.07x
Govan 11 1.82x
Liverpool 11 2.02x
Shoreditch London 11 3.36x
St Pancras London 11 1.81x
Dawlish 10 85.18x
Lambley 10 537.63x
Hackney London 9 2.12x
Kirkliston 9 135.54x
Monkwearmouth 9 41.80x
West Ham 9 2.73x
Castleton 8 136.05x
Elswick 8 8.91x
Kilmartin 8 384.62x
Alberbury 7 454.55x
Auchterderran 7 62.22x
Barton St Mary 7 115.51x
Blackburn 7 2.93x
Bredon 7 207.72x
Bromley London 7 4.21x
Kilmallie 7 64.70x
Liff Benvie 7 6.58x
Tenterden 7 76.92x
Toxteth Park 7 2.30x
Beith 6 35.55x
Dalserf 6 24.59x
Dundee 6 2.29x
Esher 6 116.28x
Gargunnock 6 331.49x
Lambeth 6 0.91x
South Leith 6 5.26x
St George Hanover Square 6 4.50x
Sutton 6 19.94x
Walthamstow 6 11.17x
Aberdeen Old Machar 5 3.42x
Boness 5 31.85x
Capel St Mary 5 337.84x
Edinburgh Canongate 5 19.40x
Nottingham St Mary 5 1.90x
Paddington London 5 1.80x
Southwick 5 23.47x
Westminster St Margaret 5 13.71x
Windle 5 9.90x
Winterborne Houghton 5 769.23x
Cameron 4 153.85x
Clapham 4 4.23x
Clerkenwell London 4 2.24x
East Greenock 4 7.23x
Ferry Port On Craig 4 54.35x
Great Ayton 4 87.15x
Healeyfield 4 425.53x
Kensington London 4 0.95x
Kingswinford 4 4.32x
Knapdale South 4 55.33x
Lasswade 4 17.27x
Llanrwst 4 40.44x
Maybole 4 23.22x
Pilton 4 137.93x
St George Bloomsbury 4 9.22x
Torosay 4 188.68x
Westminster St James 4 5.15x
Birmingham 3 0.47x
Cadder 3 16.61x
Fulham London 3 2.74x
Hagley 3 94.04x
Hampstead London 3 2.55x
Kilfinan 3 53.38x
Montrose 3 7.07x
Neath 3 11.20x
Ratho 3 63.56x
St Martin In Fields 3 6.63x
Stockport 3 3.49x
Urr 3 21.07x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 25
Thomas 20
William 19
George 17
James 14
Henry 12
Charles 9
Joseph 8
Frederick 7
Thos. 7
Robert 6
Samuel 6
Edward 5
Ernest 4
Geo. 4
Harry 4
Albert 3
Alfred 3
Arthur 3
Chas. 2
Edmund 2
Francis 2
Frank 2
Michael 2
Patrick 2
Richard 2
Walter 2
Wm. 2
Donald 1
Earnest 1
Edwd.Chas. 1
Felix 1
Fowler 1
Fredk. 1
Fredk.Wilm. 1
Fredrick 1
G.T. 1
Geo.W. 1
Gideon 1
Hy. 1
Isaac 1
J. 1
Japath 1
Jonathan 1
Jonathon 1
Leonard 1
Louis 1
Noah 1
O. 1
Wm.J. 1

FAQ

Clerk surname: questions and answers

How common was the Clerk surname in 1881?

In 1881, 779 people were recorded with the Clerk surname. That placed it at #4,763 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Clerk surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 105 in 2016. That gives Clerk a modern rank of #30,114.

What does the Clerk surname mean?

An occupational surname for a clerk, secretary, or scribe.

What does the Clerk map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Clerk 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.