Meaning: Its source is clerec, an Old English name meaning "Priest."

Alternative Spellings: Klark and Clarke

Variant Forms: Clarkson

Popularity: The name Clark ranked 816th in popularity for males of all ages in a sample of 2000-2003 Social Security Administration statistics and 406th in popularity for males of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.

Though this name has fluctuated in use, it has been quietly present throughout the last century.

Narrative: During the European Middle Ages, Clark was often used as an occupational surname for scribes or secretaries in religious orders. Some of these were allowed to marry and pass on the name, unlike the monks and priests with whom they shared the then unusual distinction of being literate.

The terms ''clerk'' and ''cleric'' both evolved from this same source. This is apparent when we compare the phrase ''clerical skills,'' which refers to the skills of a secretary, with ''clerical garb,'' which refers to the dress of the clergy.