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Clark Family History

Clark Surname Meaning

English: from Middle English clerk clark ‘clerk cleric writer’ (Old French clerc; see Clerc ). The original sense was ‘man in a religious order cleric clergyman’. As all writing and secretarial work in medieval Christian Europe was normally done by members of the clergy the term clerk came to mean ‘scholar secretary recorder or penman’ as well as ‘cleric’. As a surname it was particularly common for one who had taken only minor holy orders. In medieval Christian Europe clergy in minor orders were permitted to marry and so found families; thus the surname could become established. Irish (Westmeath Mayo): in Ireland the English surname was frequently adopted partly by translation for Ó Cléirigh; see Cleary . Americanized form of Dutch De Klerk or Flemish De Clerck or of variants of these names and possibly also of French Clerc . Compare Clerk 2 and De Clark . Americanized form of Italian Calarco .

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Clare, Clack, Lark, Clary, Plank, Flack, Clerk, Chard, Coard, Slack

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Clark family from?

You can see how Clark families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Clark family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Clark families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 2,412 Clark families living in New York. This was about 22% of all the recorded Clark's in USA. New York had the highest population of Clark families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Clark surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Clark ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Clark. 15% of Clark men worked as a Laborer and 6% of Clark women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Clark were Truck Driver and Teacher. .

View Census Data for Clark | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    15%
  • Farmer
    14%
  • Salesman
    5%
  • Truck Driver
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    6%
  • Housekeeper
    6%
  • Housewife
    6%
  • Teacher
    6%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Clark family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 4 million census records available for the last name Clark. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Clark census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Clark

Passenger Lists

There are 381,000 immigration records available for the last name Clark. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Clark immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 665,000 military records available for the last name Clark. For the veterans among your Clark ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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You've only scratched the surface of Clark family history

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What is the average Clark lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Clark life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Clark in 1940 was 37, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Clark

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