Clark is an English language surname, ultimately derived from the Latin clericus meaning "scribe", "secretary" or a scholar within a religious order, referring to someone who was educated. Clark evolved from "clerk". First records of the name are found in 12th century England. The name has many variants.
Clark is the twenty-seventh most common surname in the United Kingdom, including placing fourteenth in Scotland. Clark is also an occasional given name, as in the case of Clark Gable.
According to the 1990 United States Census, Clark was the twenty-first most frequently encountered surname, accounting for 0.23% of the population. Notable people with the surname include:
Abraham Clark (1725–1794), American politician and Revolutionary War figure
Adam Clark, American meteorologist
Alan Clark (1928–1999), British Conservative politician and author, son of Kenneth Clark
Alistair Clark, Lord Clark (fl. 2016), Scottish judge, Senator of the College of Justice
Alister Clark (1864–1949), Australian rose-breeder
Allen George Clark (1898–1962), British businessman
Andy Clark (musician), British musician
Anne Clark (disambiguation), multiple people
Anne Erin Clark, better known under her stage name St. Vincent (musician) (born 1982), American singer, songwriter, and musician
Appleton P. Clark, Jr. (1865-1955), American architect
Augusta Clark (1932–2013), American librarian, lawyer and politician
Babe Clark, American football player
Barbara M. Clark (1939-2016), New York politician
Benjamin Preston Clark (1860-1939), an American entomologist
Benjamin S. W. Clark (1829–1912), a New York politician
Billy J. Clark (1778–1866), a New York physician and politician
Bob Clark (Benjamin "Bob" Clark) (1941–2007), an American director
Boyd A. Clark (1918-1978), an American politician and jurist
Bracy Clark (1771–1860), an English veterinary surgeon specialising in the horse
Brian Clark (disambiguation), multiple people
Buddy Clark (1911–1949), American singer
Carmel Clark (born 1965), New Zealand swimmer
Catherine Clark (born 1976), Canadian television host
Charles Clark (disambiguation), multiple people
Chris Clark (disambiguation), multiple people
Christian Clark (born 1979), Australian actor
Claudine Clark, R&B singer and performer of the 1962 hit record "Party Lights"
Clive Clark (disambiguation), multiple people
Clive Clark (footballer) (1940–2014), English footballer
Colin Clark (disambiguation)
Corrie Clark (born 1982), American breaststroke swimmer
Dallas Clark, American football player
Daniel Kinnear Clark (1822–1896), Scottish railway mechanical engineer
Darius Clark (1798–1871), New York physician and politician
Dave Clark (musician) (born 1942), drummer of The Dave Clark Five
David Clark (disambiguation), multiple people
Davis Wasgatt Clark (1812–1871), American Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church
Dick Clark (disambiguation), multiple people
Dick Clark (1929–2012), entertainer and producer, host of Pyramid and Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve
Douglas Clark (disambiguation), multiple people
Duncan Clark (athlete) (1915–2003), Scottish hammer thrower
Duncan W. Clark (1910–2007), American public health specialist
Dwight Clark, American football player
Earl Clark, American Basketball player
Edward Clark (disambiguation), multiple people
Edward Clark (1888–1962), English conductor and music producer
Elky Clark (1898-1956), Scottish boxer of the 1920s
Ernest Clark (1912–1994), British actor
Eugene Clark (disambiguation), multiple people
Frank Clark (footballer), English football player
Frank M. Clark (1915–2003), American Congressman
Gavin Brown Clark (1846–1930), MP for Caithness
George Clark (disambiguation), multiple people
Gerry Clark (1927–1999), New Zealand sailor and ornithologist
Ginger Clark (1879–1943), American baseball pitcher
Glenn Clark (born 1969), Canadian coach of Toronto Rock
Grahame Clark (1907-1995), British archaeologist
Greenleaf Clark (1835-1904), American jurist
Guy Clark (1941–2016), American Texas country and folk singer, musician, songwriter, recording artist, and performer
Helen Clark (born 1950), Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1999 to 2008
Hilda Clark (1872–1932), American Coca-Cola advertising spokesperson
Hilda Margery Clarke (born 1926), English painter and curator
Horace Clark, 1830s New York politician
Horace F. Clark (1815–1873), US Congressman from New York
Hugh Massey Clark (1886–1956), New York philatelist
Hulda Regehr Clark, alternative medicine practitioner
Isabella Clark, wife of Prime Minister of Canada Sir John A. Macdonald
Jack Clark (disambiguation), multiple people
James Clark (disambiguation), multiple people
Jason Clark (disambiguation), multiple people
Jeff Clark (disambiguation), multiple people
Jim Clark (disambiguation), multiple people
Joe Clark (born 1939), former Prime Minister of Canada
John Clark (disambiguation), multiple people
Jonas Gilman Clark (1815–1900), American businessman and the founder of Clark University
Jonathan Clark (disambiguation)
Joseph Clark (disambiguation), multiple people
Joshua Clark, (born 1980), American writer
Karen Clark (born 1945), American politician from Minnesota
Karen Clark (born 1960), American gospel four-time Grammy Award-winning singer
Katy Clark (born 1967), Scottish politician and trade union official
Kelly Clark (born 1983), American snowboarder
Kelly Clark (lawyer) (1957–2013), American lawyer
Ken Clark (disambiguation), multiple people
Kenneth Clark (disambiguation), multiple people
Leslie J. Clark (1924–2003), British engineer and founder of Parvalux
Louis Clark, musician and conductor with the Orchestra (former members of ELO and ELO Part II)
Lynn G. Clark, American botanist
Manning Clark (1915–1991), Australian historian
Marcus R. Clark (born 1956), Louisiana Supreme Court justice
Mark Wayne Clark (1896–1984), American army general in WW2 (Italy) and the Korean War
Nancy B. Clark, person of Marstons Mills, Massachusetts
Ocky Clark (born 1960), American middle distance runner
Orville Clark (1801–1862), New York politician
Otey Clark (born 1915), American baseball pitcher
R. Foster Clark, American college sports coach
R. Scott Clark (born 1961) American seminary professor
Ramsey Clark (born 1927), U.S. Attorney General and activist
Ranza Clark (born 1961), Canadian middle distance runner
Robert Clark (disambiguation), multiple people
Robin Clark (pop singer), (born 1949), 1960s American pop singer
Roger Clark, British rally driver
Ryan Clark (disambiguation), multiple people
Samuel Clark (disambiguation), multiple people
Samuel Delbert Clark (1910–2003), Canadian sociologist
Satterlee Clark, Jr., American politician
Shawn M. Clark (born ca 1964), American organizational theorist
Sherman Clark (1899–1980), American Olympic rower and Rear Admiral
Simon Clark (disambiguation), multiple people
Steve Clark (1960–1991), British guitarist for Def Leppard
Stuart Clark (born 1975), Australian cricketer
Sir Terence Clark (born 1934), British retired diplomat and writer
Theresa Maria Clark (c. 1890 – 1953), person of New York
Thomas Clark (disambiguation), multiple people
Tom Clark (journalist), Canadian television journalist
Tom C. Clark (1899–1977), U.S. Attorney General, U.S. Supreme Court justice
Tracy Clark, fictional character from The CW primetime drama 90210
Wendel Clark (born 1966), retired Canadian ice hockey player
Wesley K. Clark (born 1944), American Army General in the Vietnam War and Kosovo
Wilfrid Le Gros Clark (1895–1971), British palaeanthropologist
Will Clark (born 1964), American baseball player
William Clark (disambiguation), multiple people
Zenas Clark (1795–1864), New York politician
