Clarke, which can also be spelled Clark, like many surnames was originally the name of an occupation. In the Middle Ages (the time when many English surnames originated) a clerk or clerke was an educated man, in holy orders, who earned his living by being able to read or write; typically, he worked for the church in some capacity. It originally comes from the Latin clericus, or cleric (member of the clergy.) This itself is derived from the Greek kleros, "lot, or heritage."
In the Middle Ages the word Clark or Clerk had strong associations with scholarship and religion. It has never been much used as a given name in the UK, but is sometimes given to boys in the US, especially dating from the 1940s and 50s when the popularity of film star Clark Gable was at its height. (It is also the name of Superman's mild mannered alter ego, Clark Kent!)
In the Middle Ages the word Clark or Clerk had strong associations with scholarship and religion. It has never been much used as a given name in the UK, but is sometimes given to boys in the US, especially dating from the 1940s and 50s when the popularity of film star Clark Gable was at its height. (It is also the name of Superman's mild mannered alter ego, Clark Kent!)
