2000
#476
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 62,546
First available Census row
Per 100,000 23.19
Uncommon Last name
Clarke
An occupational surname referring to a clerk, secretary, or scribe.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 80,283 Americans carry the last name Clarke. That puts it at #466 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 23.42 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 4,269 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Clarke surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Clarke with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
80K
1 in 4,269
Census rank
#466
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
23.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
70K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 70,011 bearers of the surname Clarke in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 23.42 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 466th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Clarke, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.8%. The next largest groups are Black (33.0%) and Hispanic (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Clarke
The surname Clarke has its origins in England, with the earliest records dating back to the late 11th century. It is derived from the occupational word "clerk," which referred to a scholar, secretary, or someone who performed clerical duties. The name was often adopted by people who worked in ecclesiastical or administrative roles.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landholdings commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name is also found in various medieval records, such as the Pipe Rolls and the Hundred Rolls, indicating its widespread usage during that period.
The surname Clarke can be traced back to various regions in England, particularly in counties like Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, and Essex. It was also prevalent in cities like London, where many clerks and scribes were employed in various capacities.
The name has undergone various spelling variations throughout history, including Clerke, Clerk, and Clarck. These variations reflect the fluidity of spelling conventions in earlier times and regional differences in pronunciation.
One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was Walter Clerk, who was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1201. Another notable figure was John Clerk, a 14th-century English clergyman who served as the Bishop of Bath and Wells from 1364 to 1370.
In the 16th century, William Clarke (c. 1509-1551) was a Protestant martyr who was burned at the stake for his religious beliefs during the reign of Queen Mary I. His steadfast adherence to his faith made him a notable figure in the history of the Protestant Reformation.
During the 17th century, Samuel Clarke (1675-1729) was a prominent English philosopher and theologian who made significant contributions to the fields of ethics and metaphysics. His works, such as "A Discourse Concerning the Being and Attributes of God," influenced the intellectual discourse of his time.
In the 19th century, Marcus Clarke (1846-1881) was an Australian novelist and poet known for his seminal work, "For the Term of His Natural Life," which depicted the harsh realities of convict life in Australia.
Another notable figure from this period was Sir Andrew Clarke (1824-1902), a British physician and surgeon who made significant contributions to the field of public health and sanitation in India during the British colonial era.
Throughout history, the surname Clarke has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including writers, artists, scientists, and political figures. Its enduring presence reflects the widespread influence and impact of those who carried this name across different eras and regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Clarke
Among Census respondents with the surname Clarke, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.8%. The next largest groups are Black (33.0%) and Hispanic (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Clarke bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Clarke surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White56.8% · 39,749
- Black or African American33.0% · 23,075
- Hispanic or Latino4.8% · 3,341
- Two or more races4.3% · 2,990
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 620
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 236
Timeline
Historical Census data for Clarke
Clarke appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#487
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 68,281
+5,735 bearers (+9.2%)
Per 100,000 23.15
Rank movement Down 11 places
2020
#466
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 70,011
+1,730 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 23.42
Rank movement Up 21 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #476 | 62,546 | 23.19 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #487 | 68,281 | 23.15 | +5,735 bearers (+9.2%) | Down 11 places |
| 2020 | #466 | 70,011 | 23.42 | +1,730 bearers (+2.5%) | Up 21 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Clarke surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #487 | #466 | 4.3% |
| Count | 68,281 | 70,011 | 2.5% |
| Per 100K | 23.15 | 23.42 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Clarke bearers went from 68,281 to 70,011 (+2.5% change). The surname moved up 21 positions in the national ranking, going from #487 to #466.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Clarke
FAQ
Clarke surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Clarke?
Name Census estimates that about 80,283 living Americans carry the surname Clarke. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 4,269 residents.
How common is Clarke?
Clarke ranks #466 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 23.42 per 100,000 residents, which is about 23 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 70,011 people with the surname Clarke. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (80,283), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 23.42 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 23.42 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 23 of them to have the surname Clarke.
Has Clarke become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Clarke went from 68,281 recorded bearers to 70,011. That is an increase of 1,730 (+2.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #487 to #466.
What does the Census say about the background of Clarke?
Among Census respondents with the surname Clarke, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.8%. The next largest groups are Black (33.0%) and Hispanic (4.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Clarke in the 2020 Census, accounting for 56.8% (39,749 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Clarke appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (56.8%), Black (33.0%), Hispanic (4.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Clarke (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Clarke mean?
An occupational surname referring to a clerk, secretary, or scribe. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Clarke (23.42 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Clarke?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.