2000
#25
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 548,369
First available Census row
Per 100,000 203.28
Very Common Last name
Clark
An English occupational surname referring to a scribe, secretary, scholar, or member of the clergy.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 618,843 Americans carry the last name Clark. That puts it at #28 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 180.55 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 554 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Clark surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Clark with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
619K
1 in 554
Census rank
#28
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
180.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
540K
very common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 539,661 bearers of the surname Clark in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 180.55 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 28th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Clark, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.0%. The next largest groups are Black (18.5%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Clark
The surname Clark is of English origin, derived from the occupational term "clerk" or "clericus" in medieval Latin. It emerged in the 12th century as a descriptive name for those employed as clerks, scribes, or scholars, often in religious or administrative roles.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Clericus" and "Le Clerc." These early forms reflect the name's direct link to the profession of clerks, who were responsible for record-keeping and administrative tasks.
During the Middle Ages, the name Clark spread across various regions of England, particularly in areas with significant ecclesiastical or governmental presence, such as London, Yorkshire, and Lincolnshire. As the name became more widespread, variations in spelling emerged, including Clarke, Clerke, and Clerques.
One notable figure bearing the name Clark was John Clark (c. 1370-1437), a renowned English mathematician and astronomer from Yorkshire. He was a Fellow of the University of Cambridge and authored several works on astronomical calculations and astrological tables.
Another prominent Clark was William Clark (1770-1838), the American explorer and co-leader of the famous Lewis and Clark Expedition. Together with Meriwether Lewis, he led the first American overland expedition to the Pacific coast, greatly expanding the knowledge of the western territories of the United States.
In literature, Samuel Clark (1675-1729) was an influential English philosopher and theologian. He is best known for his work "The Being and Attributes of God," which defended the existence of God and argued against the materialist philosophies of the time.
The name Clark has also been associated with several places, such as Clarkebury in Oxfordshire and Clark's Green in Buckinghamshire, which likely derived their names from individuals bearing the surname.
Another notable figure was Abraham Clark (1726-1794), a signer of the Declaration of Independence and a delegate to the Continental Congress from New Jersey during the American Revolutionary War.
Throughout history, the surname Clark has maintained its strong presence, with notable bearers from various fields, including politics, exploration, academia, and literature. Its origins as an occupational name reflect the importance of clerks and scribes in medieval society, and its enduring use is a testament to its historical significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Clark
Among Census respondents with the surname Clark, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.0%. The next largest groups are Black (18.5%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Clark bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Clark surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White72.0% · 388,435
- Black or African American18.5% · 99,576
- Two or more races4.4% · 23,930
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 18,974
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 5,021
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 3,725
Timeline
Historical Census data for Clark
Clark appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#27
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 562,679
+14,310 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 190.75
Rank movement Down 2 places
2020
#28
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 539,661
-23,018 bearers (-4.1%)
Per 100,000 180.55
Rank movement Down 1 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #25 | 548,369 | 203.28 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #27 | 562,679 | 190.75 | +14,310 bearers (+2.6%) | Down 2 places |
| 2020 | #28 | 539,661 | 180.55 | -23,018 bearers (-4.1%) | Down 1 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Clark surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #27 | #28 | -3.7% |
| Count | 562,679 | 539,661 | -4.1% |
| Per 100K | 190.75 | 180.55 | -5.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Clark bearers went from 562,679 to 539,661 (-4.1% change). The surname moved down 1 positions in the national ranking, going from #27 to #28.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Clark
FAQ
Clark surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Clark?
Name Census estimates that about 618,843 living Americans carry the surname Clark. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 554 residents.
How common is Clark?
Clark ranks #28 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 180.55 per 100,000 residents, which is about 181 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 539,661 people with the surname Clark. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (618,843), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 180.55 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 180.55 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 181 of them to have the surname Clark.
Has Clark become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Clark went from 562,679 recorded bearers to 539,661. That is a decrease of 23,018 (-4.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #27 to #28.
What does the Census say about the background of Clark?
Among Census respondents with the surname Clark, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.0%. The next largest groups are Black (18.5%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Clark in the 2020 Census, accounting for 72.0% (388,435 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Clark appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (72.0%), Black (18.5%), Two or More Races (4.4%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Clark (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Clark mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a scribe, secretary, scholar, or member of the clergy. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Clark (180.55 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Clark?
Find out how many people have the last name Clark on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.