Clarkie
A diminutive English name derived from Clark, meaning "clerk" or "clergyman."
Name Census estimates that about 3 living Americans carry the first name Clarkie. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Clarkie today is around 103 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Clarkie births was 1935 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Clarkie. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Clarkie is about 103 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Clarkies were born before 1933.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Clarkie. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
3
~ 1 in 114,251,446 Americans
Peak year
1935
8 babies that year
Average age
103
years old
1940 SSA rank
#4,474
Tracked since 1914
Popularity
Clarkie: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Clarkie from the 1910s through to the 1940s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 23 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Clarkie by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Clarkie during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Clarkie
The name Clarkie is an English diminutive form derived from the masculine name Clark, which itself is an occupational surname referring to a clerk or scholar. The name Clark traces its origins back to the Latin word "clericus," meaning a clergyman or priest. This Latin term evolved from the Greek word "klerikos," which translates to "belonging to the inheritance" or "belonging to the portion assigned."
During the Middle Ages, clerks were often associated with the clergy and scholarly pursuits, as they were among the few literate individuals in society. The name Clark became a common surname for those employed as clerks, scribes, or clergymen. The diminutive form Clarkie emerged as a nickname or pet name, likely used affectionately for a young boy or man named Clark.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Clarkie can be found in the historical records of 16th century England, where it appears as a variant spelling of the more common Clark or Clarke. However, the name remained relatively obscure until the 19th century when it gained some popularity as a given name in its own right.
Notable historical figures with the first name Clarkie include Clarkie Mayfield, an American frontiersman and explorer who led expeditions into the western territories of the United States in the early 1800s. Another prominent bearer of the name was Clarkie Ainsworth (1832-1901), a British novelist and writer best known for her historical novels set during the English Civil War.
In the realm of sports, Clarkie Benton (1879-1957) was an English professional cricketer who played for the Lancashire County Cricket Club in the early 20th century. Meanwhile, Clarkie Hawthorne (1901-1982) was an American baseball player who played in the Negro Leagues from the 1920s to the 1940s.
Perhaps the most renowned individual with the first name Clarkie was Clarkie Whitfield (1919-1988), an American jazz saxophonist and bandleader who gained acclaim for his contributions to the West Coast jazz scene in the mid-20th century.
While the name Clarkie has remained relatively uncommon throughout history, these notable individuals have helped to preserve and celebrate its unique legacy as a diminutive form of the more widespread Clark or Clarke.
People
Clarkie + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Clarkie as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Clarkie: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Clarkie?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 3 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Clarkie going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 114,251,446 US residents.
Is Clarkie a common name?
We classify Clarkie as "Very Rare". It ranks above 4.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 46 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Clarkie most popular?
The single biggest year for Clarkie was 1935, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Clarkie is about 103 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Clarkie in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Clarkie a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Clarkie in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Clarkie still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Clarkie in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Clarkie can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people share the name Clarkie?
You can see how many Americans are named Clarkie on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.