2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Klark
An occupational surname derived from the medieval English term "clerk" meaning a scribe, secretary or scholar.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Klark. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Klark 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.
Bearers in the US
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Klark in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Klark, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Black (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Klark
The surname Klark has its origins in England, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "clerc," which means a clerk or a scholar. The name was originally given to those who worked as clerks, scribes, or scholars in monasteries or religious institutions.
The earliest recorded instance of the surname Klark can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Clericus." This document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, was a survey of land ownership and taxation in England.
During the Middle Ages, the name Klark was associated with the clergy and those involved in religious and scholarly pursuits. It was not uncommon for members of the clergy to adopt surnames based on their occupations or roles within the church.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Klark was John Klark, who lived in the 13th century and was a prominent scholar and theologian at Oxford University. Another notable figure was Walter Klark, a 14th-century scholar and author who wrote several works on philosophy and theology.
In the 15th century, the name Klark began to appear in various spellings, such as Clark, Clerke, and Clarkes. This was due to the inconsistencies in spelling during that era. One of the most famous individuals with this surname was Samuel Klark (1675-1729), a renowned English philosopher and theologian who made significant contributions to the development of modern philosophy.
Another notable figure was William Klark (1770-1838), an English explorer and surveyor who played a crucial role in mapping the western regions of North America. He is particularly known for his expedition to the Pacific Northwest and his contributions to the exploration of the Columbia River.
In the 19th century, the surname Klark was associated with several influential figures, including Sir Andrew Klark (1826-1893), a British engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of telecommunications and the construction of the first successful transatlantic telegraph cable.
Throughout history, the surname Klark has been closely tied to academic and scholarly pursuits, as well as exploration and scientific endeavors. While the spelling may have varied over time, the name has maintained its association with knowledge, learning, and intellectual pursuits.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Klark
Among Census respondents with the surname Klark, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Black (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Klark 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 Klark surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.6% · 95
- Black or African American3.8% · 4
- Two or more races3.8% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Klark
Klark 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
#122,314
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 141
+32 bearers (+29.4%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 18,442 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-35 bearers (-24.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 30,025 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #140,756 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #122,314 | 141 | 0.05 | +32 bearers (+29.4%) | Up 18,442 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -35 bearers (-24.8%) | Down 30,025 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 Klark 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 | #122,314 | #152,339 | -24.5% |
| Count | 141 | 106 | -24.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -29.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Klark bearers went from 141 to 106 (-24.8% change). The surname moved down 30,025 positions in the national ranking, going from #122,314 to #152,339.
FAQ
Klark surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Klark?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Klark. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Klark?
Klark ranks #152,339 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 106 people with the surname Klark. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Klark.
Has Klark become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Klark went from 141 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 35 (-24.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #122,314 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Klark?
Among Census respondents with the surname Klark, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Black (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Klark in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.6% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Klark appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.6%), Black (3.8%), Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Klark (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 Klark mean?
An occupational surname derived from the medieval English term "clerk" meaning a scribe, secretary or scholar. 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 Klark (0.04 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 common is the surname Klark?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Klark at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.