Clark

Meaning: Clerk, scholar, or cleric
Origin: From Latin via Old English

Boy's name · #377 in the US (2025) · Comeback

Popularity over time

Clark was #176 in 1881, slipped to #818 by 2001, and has climbed back to #377 today. Roughly 51,000 boys have been named Clark since 1880. In all that time it has never once missed a year of the national records.

Across the states

See where Clark is more common.

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 41 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Around the world

See how Clark ranks in other countries and regions.

#228 in Scotland (2025) · #847 in England & Wales (2025) · #1,142 in Ecuador (2025) · #1,489 in France (2025) · #333 in Canada (2024).

Famous Clarks

Clark Gable — American actor (1901–1960)
Clark Gregg — American actor, screenwriter and director (born 1962)
Clark Ashton Smith — American author (1893–1961)
Clark L. Hull — American psychologist (1884–1952)
Clark Terry — American swing and bebop trumpeter (1920–2015)

As a surname

It is also an American family name — about 563,000 people carried it as a surname in the 2010 census.

Helen Clark — Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1999 to 2008
Blake Clark — American stand-up comedian (born 1946)
Jim Clark — British racecar driver (1936–1968)

In stories & tradition

Clark (Superman) — Action Comics (comics)
Clark Kent — Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (TV series)
Clark (Doc Savage) — Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze (film)

What Clarks become

Among 358 notable people named Clark:

Political leaders appear 1.3× more often than among typical names — e.g. Clark Bissell, American judge and politician (1782–1857).

Similar names: Hugo · Clyde · Archie · Clay · Royal · Porter

Browse more boy names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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