Clarke is a surname which means "clerk". The surname is of
English and
Irish origin and comes from the
Latinclericus. Variants include
Clerk[1] and
Clark.
Clarke is also uncommonly chosen as a given name.
Clarke, as well as Clark, is also a widespread surname in England. The English version is of Anglo-Saxon origin and was used in the
Middle Ages for the name of a scribe or secretary. The word "clerc", which came from the pre-7th century
Old English"Cler(e)c" (meaning priest), originally denoted a member of a religious order, but later became widespread. In the Middle Ages, virtually the only people who could read and write were members of religious orders, linking the word with literacy. Thus the surname became a popular term for a literate man, particularly for the professional secretary and the scholar.[3] The English surnames Clarke and Clark are spelling variations.
Beauclerk is a related surname, from the
Anglo-Norman meaning "fine scholar", and the French surname
Leclerc is in the same family of names.[4]
This page lists people with the
surnameClarke. If an
internal link intending to refer to a specific person led you to this page, you may wish to change that
link by adding the person's
given name(s) to the link.
Clarke is a surname which means "clerk". The surname is of
English and
Irish origin and comes from the
Latinclericus. Variants include
Clerk[1] and
Clark.
Clarke is also uncommonly chosen as a given name.
Clarke, as well as Clark, is also a widespread surname in England. The English version is of Anglo-Saxon origin and was used in the
Middle Ages for the name of a scribe or secretary. The word "clerc", which came from the pre-7th century
Old English"Cler(e)c" (meaning priest), originally denoted a member of a religious order, but later became widespread. In the Middle Ages, virtually the only people who could read and write were members of religious orders, linking the word with literacy. Thus the surname became a popular term for a literate man, particularly for the professional secretary and the scholar.[3] The English surnames Clarke and Clark are spelling variations.
Beauclerk is a related surname, from the
Anglo-Norman meaning "fine scholar", and the French surname
Leclerc is in the same family of names.[4]
This page lists people with the
surnameClarke. If an
internal link intending to refer to a specific person led you to this page, you may wish to change that
link by adding the person's
given name(s) to the link.