Clarke

Clarke - A very unique male name

Clarke appeared on the charts for the first time in 1917 on position #1618. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Clarke and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Clarke? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Clarke. The baby boy name Clarke was given to 8 baby boys in 2025, ranking #3293 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 183,286 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Clarke peaked in popularity 81 years ago in 1945 on position 1026.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Clarke, 1-5?

Clarke is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Clarke is currently topping the baby name charts in Texas at position #1,942 - and is the least popular in Texas at position #1,942.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Clarke is where you live.

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Clarke origin and meaning

English — transferred surname

From the surname Clarke, originally an occupational name for a clerk — a cleric or scholar, from Old English clerc

Clarke is the surname spelling of Clark, borne for centuries as a family name before occasional use as a boy's first name. It has appeared in the data since 1917 but never widely, peaking at just 20 births in 1963.

Attested etymology

Clarke is a 6 letter name with 1 syllables.

To see famous people named Clarke, pop culture references for the name Clarke and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Clarke

We've found the following names that sound similar to Clarke, sorted by popularity.

Clark /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Clarke

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Clarke a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Clarke?

1 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

KLARK · /klɑːrk/

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Spellings and nicknames

• Clark — The plainer spelling of the same surname, far more common as a first name

Famous bearers

None yet — no bearer for this name is documented well enough for us to list, so we show none rather than pad the list.

Style

SurnameClassic

Why parents choose it

A buttoned-up surname choice with a literary, scholarly feel — the final e makes it look more formal than Clark.

Worth knowing

• Most people will spell it Clark without the e
• It is far better known as a surname than a first name