Clark/Clerk/Clarkson/Clarkin

Clark Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Clark have been found, including: Clark, Clerk and others.

Terminology

The term "clericus" was originally applied to someone in a religious order but it was later applied to anyone who was a secretary, scribe, scholar as well as a cleric in the church. It is therefore not surprising that this occupational name became widespread when surnames began to be used.

The Clark/Clarke surname implied a clerk, cleric, or clergyman and was recoginized by the MacPearson Clan. The name MacPearson means 'son of the parson'.

Definition: Cleric, clerk, or scholar - one who can read and write. Also from the Gaelic "Mac a' Chlerich/Cleireach"; son of the cleric or, sometimes, clerk. During the Middle Ages, the common pronunciation of -er was -ar, so the man who sold items was the marchant, and the man who kept the books was the clark. At the time, the primary members of the literate class were the clergy, which in minor orders were allow to marry and have families. The term clerk eventually (clark) came to designate any literate man. Surname Origin: English Alternate Surname Spellings: Spellings: CLARKE, CLERK, CLERKE

The name Clark comes from one of the family having worked as a person who concerned himself with matters of scholarly importance or of religious orders or as a secretary. The surname Clark originally derived from the Latin form clericus. Even today, the word and profession clerk is typically pronounced clark throughout the United Kingdom.

The name may have been Norman in origin, having descended from the name Le Clerc and generally means "a learned person-that is, one who could in old times read and write-accomplishments. " [1]

Indeed, the name was seen in early rolls in both Normandy and England. "Twenty of the name occur in 1198; of these, nine also occur in England 1199; and the families of the name generally seem to have had members in both countries." [2]

Early Origins of the Clark family

The surname Clark was first found in Hampshire where Richerius clericus was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086. A few years later, Willelm le Clerec was listed in Somerset in 1100 and Reginald Clerc was listed in the Curia Rolls of Rutland in 1205. [3]

"Absent in Wales, and scarce in most of the counties on the Welsh border. Best represented in Buckinghamshire, Essex, Leicestershire, Rutlandshire, and Nottinghamshire. " [4]

"As a surname, Clarke appears frequently to have aliased some other appellative; for instance the Baronet family, Clarke of Salford, originally Woodchurch, from the parish of that name in Kent, soon after the Conquest became Clarkes (Le Clerc) in consequence of a marriage with an heiress, and the family for some generations wrote themselves "Woodchurch alias Le Clerc," and vice versa." [1]

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 proved the widespread use of the name in both Latin and early English forms: Boniface Clericus, Lincolnshire; Thomas le Clerk, Lincolnshire; Batekyn Clericus, Essex; Gilbert le Clerk, Oxfordshire; and Tomas le Clerck, Buckinghamshire. [5]

Yet just over one hundred years later, the "Le" prefix was dropped and the Latin form of the name was deprecated as seen in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 which listed: Robertus Clarke; Beatrix Clerc; and Henricus Clerk. [5]

Important Dates for the Clark family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Clark research. Another 76 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1599, 1683, 1655, 1675, 1729, 1639, 1714, 1659, 1735, 1689 and are included under the topic Early Clark History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Early Notables of the Clark family (pre 1700)

Distinguished members of the family include Sir James Clark, a physician to the King; Samuel Clarke (1599-1683), an English clergyman and significant Puritan biographer; William Clerk, LL.D...

Another 26 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Clark Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Surname: Clark

Background: The term "clericus" was originally applied to someone in a religious order but it was later applied to anyone who was a secretary, scribe, scholar as well as a cleric in the church.

The word 'clan' simply means 'children'. Clan members [families] were related by blood or marriage, whereas Septs were families who lived within a territory of a Clan and were accepted by the Clan Chief as part of his Clan. The Scots used the name 'Clans' to designated their family members, while in Ireland the term 'Sept' was used to designate family members. In later years, both terms were used in Scotland, one to show family association, the other to show those who gained recognition from a particular Clan Chief as part of the Clan.

A Clan is a family who were all once connected under a head, who was/is called the Clan Chief. Example: Supposing that a man named 'Angus MacPhearson' was the chief of the MacPhearson Clan who once controlled a certain geographical area in Scotland. In his territory lived many of his family members, who were called a Clan, as well as several families not related by blood or marriage, called Septs. Family members and their descendants within the MacPhearson Clan would always belong to the MacPhearson Clan no matter where they lived, but the unrelated Septs, when relocating, would oftentimes seek out new Clans in which to be associated. The individual Chief of any particular Clan determined the recognition of any said Sept living within his territory.

[Clark a Sept found under the Clans of MacPhearson and Cameron]

A Sept is a family who was not related to the Clan by blood or marriage, but lived within the territory of the Clan Chief. The Sept families choose to give allegiance to the Clan Chief in turn for protection under his banner. Many unrelated Septs changed location over the years and may be found listed under several different Clans, depending on the territory in which they lived, and whether or not the Chief of that particular Clan recognized the people as a Sept of his Clan.

Family Surname Forum

Irish

Surname: Clarke

Background: An English surname which usually stands for O'Clery in Ireland.

Clery, often spelt Cleary, is one of the Gaelic Irish surnames which has kept the prefix O to some extent in modern times. O'Clery is O Cleirigh in Irish probably derived from the work Cleireach meaning a clerk or cleric. The name itself means descendant of Cleireach, who was of the line of the famous Guaire the Hospitable, King of Connacht. Cleireach was born about the year 820 A.D. some two centuries before hereditary names began to be generally used. That of O'Clery, however, was one of the earliest recorded surnames: it dates from the middle of the tenth century. The O'Clerys were the chief family in that part of the present Co. Galway which is covered by the diocese of Kilmacduagh, but their influence gradually declined and by the middle of the thirteenth century they had been driven out of their original territory and settled elsewhere. By far the most important of these branches was that which domiciled in Counties Donegal and Derry: many of its members distinguished themselves as poets and antiquarians there.

Since the Plantation of Ulster in the seventeenth century, and the consequent anglicization of what was formerly the most Irish of the Four Provinces, the common English surname Clarke has been very widely substituted for O'Clery there, and also indeed elsewhere in Ireland. Without a reliable pedigree or at least a strong family tradition it is therefore impossible to say whether an Irish Clarke is an O'Clery in disguise or the descendant of an English settler; but it is probable that most of our Clarkes are in fact O'Clerys. The branch which settled in Co. Cavan has almost disappeared (at least as Clery, though Clarke is fairly common to-day in Co. Cavan), but the third, which went to Co. Kilkenny, is still to be found in considerable numbers if not actually in Co. Kilkenny, in the adjacent counties of Tipperary and Waterford.

Clery and Cleary are also found as variants of Clerkin (O Cleirchin) a sept located in the barony of Coshma, Co. Limerick. Clarke, with an estimated population of over 14,000 persons comes as high as thirty-second in the list of the hundred commonest surnames in Ireland (this of course includes all persons of the name whether their origin be Irish or English). Clery (including Cleary, O'Clery and O'Cleary) musters some 5,000 persons. The O'Clerys of the seventeenth century who left their mark on the literary history of Ireland are too numerous to mention individually. The most famous were Michael, his brother Conary and their cousin Cucoigchriche (sons of Lughaigh O'Clery the chieftain and historian), who with Fearfasa O'Mulconry compiled the "Annals of the Four Masters" which was finished in 1636.

A modern historian of the name was Arthur Patrick O'Clery (1841-1915), born at Kilkenny, the missionary to Irish and Scots soldiers in the Low Countries; Dr. Joseph Clarke (1758-1834), the Derryman who did so much for the Rotunda Hospital, Dublin; and in our own time Thomas Clarke (1857-1916), first signatory to the republican proclamation in 1916 who was executed after the Easter Week Rising. Two sisters, Julie Cleary and Desiree Cleary (1781-1860), daughters of an Irish merchant in Marseilles, became respectively Queens of Spain and Sweden under Napoleon. There is another Gaelic surname which has become Clery in English in some places, though more usually MacCleary or MacAlary. this is MacGiolla Arraith, a branch of the O'Haras, who went with them to Co. Antrim and became established there.

Development and History

Clarke was the 32nd most common surname in Ireland in 1890 and there were approximately 15,400 bearers of this name. Counties in which this surname is most commonly found: Antrim, Cavan, Dublin, Louth, Mayo

Other Variations of the Clark/Clarke Surname: CLAERK LEARY MACALEERIE MACCLERICHE MACCLERIE MACCHLERICH MACCLERICH MACCLURICH MACCLERY MACCLEARY MACCLEAREY MACCLIRIE MACCHLERY MACELEARY MACINCLERYCHT MACINCLERIE MACINCLERICH MACLERIE MACLEARY MACLERICH MACLEAR MACKLEIRY MAKLEARIE MACLEERIE CLERK CLERC CLEARY CLERKSOUN CLERKSONE CLERCSONE CLERKE CLEARKSON CLARKSON CLERKSSON CLARKSONE CLERKSON CLARKE CLARK CLERCK CLERACH CLERIE

The surname of Clark was also found as a sept of the Clans of MacIntosh and MacPherson.

The name means a man of a religious order, and later a scholar. Clan Clerich, or Clark, was one of the old 17 tribes of Clan Chattan. The territory occupied by the Clan Chattan during its long history lies mainly in east Inverness-shire and stretches from Inverness in the north to Laggan in the south, and from Glenloy in the west to Glenshee and Invercauld in the east. It embraced the upper stretches of four of Scotland's main rivers: the Nairn, Findhorn, Spey and Dee.

TARTANS: Clark - a modern variant of the 'Clergy tartan', or, if links can be traced to Lochaber or Badenoch, such patterns as are associated with Clans Cameron and Chattan - or that of any other clan to which links can be traced.

These names evolved largely from the Latin clericus, a term which had almost universal usage describing a person in holy orders, a scholar or a scribe. From the custom of identifying a person by his first name and occupation the name proliferated, but only after 1400 did it become an inherited family name. When translated into Gaelic it becomes Chleirich, resulting in Mac a'Chleirich - son of the clerk (surviving mainly in McCleary, or MacChlery, often anglicised to Clarkson). Families of Clarks/Clerks attached themselves to several clans, first no doubt, as men-of-business to the chiefs. The Clan Cameron in Lochaber, and the Clans Mackintosh and MacPherson in the Confederation of Clan Chattan in and around Badenoch all recognise them as septs. In the latter kindred the Clarks of Clan Chlerich are said to trace descent from Gillemichael vic Chleric, the personal servant of Malcolm, 10th Chief of Mackintosh during the 15th century.

In the early Middle Ages any literate person could style himself clericus, a word which was appended to signatures in countless documents of that time. O'Cleirigh meant "grandson of the scribe" in Irish Gaelic. The surname Cleary came from Cleireach of Connacht, who was born around 829 A.D. Clerk/Clark is the oldest true surname recorded anywhere in Europe. The Irish branch, of this family group, settled in Derry and Donegal, Ireland; where they became famous poets. In Cavan, Ireland, the name was anglized as Clarke.

At the end of the 12th century, a Roger clericus held land in Kelso and in 1249 Alan clericus was a witness to a charter in Aberdeen. There were nine people from Scotland with that name who signed the "Ragman Roll" when King Edward I of England demanded in 1296 that all landowners had to swear allegiance to him. However, it is only after 1400 that we can be certain that it was being used as a surname rather than as a description of someone's occupation or status. Johannes Clark was prior of Scone in 1524. At Durness in Sutherland a family named Clarke can be traced to the 17th century. Richard Clark, a native of Montrose in Angus, became vice-admiral of Sweden in 1623, and a Hans Clerck (of a different family) rose to be an admiral in the same service, - the name still exists in Sweden and Finland in the form Klerck. In 1783, the exploration and settlement of the lands north-west of Ohio in the USA, was carried out by George Rogers Clark(1752-1818). He held possession of the Southwest territory in Ohio, and was of Scottish descent.

The Ragman Roll of 1296 contains the names of nine persons calling themselves Clark, but these probably did not become surnames. Later the surname Le Clerc surfaced. Clerk meant secretary, scribe, scholar, or clerk. In Gaelic it was Cleiriach, which became Cleary and MacCleary in Ireland

Clerk/Clarks found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296 were:

1. Clerk of Colgynton, Adam of the County of Edinburgh
2. Clerk de Eyeton, William of the County Berwickshire
3. Clerk de Louweder, William le fiz Alain of the County of Berwickshire.
4. Clerk de Rokesburgh/Roxburgh, Walter County of Roxburgh
5. Clerk, Guy burger of Jeddeworth
6. Clerk, Pieres, County of Edinburgh.
7. Clerk, Richard, citizen of Jeddeworth
8. Clerk, William of the County of Lanark

There was never a Highland clan of that name. However, it is frequently found among the Clan Chattan confederacy. Clarks appear to have been a sept (under the protection) of the MacPhersons (whose origins were also from the church, "Mac-a Phearsain" meaning in Gaelic "son of the parson" in the days when celibacy of the priesthood was not enforced).

The clergy in the Scottish Highlands belonged to a militant order. It was recorded that a clergyman in Skye in the 18th century attended church with his two-handed sword, and that his servant walked behind with his bow and a case of arrows.

When Presbyterianism became Scotland's national church, there was opposition and many times the service could not be held or was postponed, when a certain person came to the door . It is said that Colin Campbell, minister of Ardchatten, was denied admittance by the MacDonalds. Campbell, however, was ready for the cause. He was dressed in his kilt, and armed with a sword in one hand and a cocked pistol in the other, and defied the masses to remove him.

The name is common throughout the Lowlands and Highlands of Scotland. It is particularly prevalent in Caithness and there were important families of Clarks in places as far apart as Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Paisley and some have become landed families with baronetcies.

Two unrelated Clarks reached high office in the Swedish navy in the 17th century and the name is found in Sweden and Finland in the form Klerck. The American explorer George Rogers Clark (1752-1818) was of Scottish descent.

Ulva was the original home of Clan MacQuarrie. In about 1850 Francis William Clark, an Argyll landowner, built an impressive modern seat on the island, near the abandoned house of the 16th Chief.

The tartan used by the Clerks is a variation of one called "Blue Clergy" which was worn by ministers, though it dates from the re-invention of tartan after the visit (orchestrated by Sir Walter Scott) of King George IV to Scotland in 1822.

Clan Chattan was the clan of the Clarks. Clark is regarded as a sept (sub-branch) of both Cameron and Macpherson.

Clark was the 14th most frequent surname at the General Register Office in 1995 in Scottland. The name is also common in England where it is often spelt Clarke.

Clark migration to the United States

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Among the first immigrants of the name Clark, or a variant listed above to cross the Atlantic and come to North America were :

Clark Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

• Nic Clark, who landed in New England in 1632 [6]
• Nico Clark, who landed in America in 1632 [6]
• Nicholas Clark, who arrived in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1634 [6]
• Geo Clark, aged 15, who arrived in Barbados in 1635 [6]
• Gilbert Clark, aged 19, who arrived in St Christopher in 1635 [6]
• ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Clark Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

• Eliza Clark, who landed in Virginia in 1701-1702 [6]
• Zach Clark, who arrived in Virginia in 1701 [6]
• Honnery Clark, who arrived in North Carolina in 1702 [6]
• Ben Clark, who arrived in Virginia in 1703 [6]
• Danll Clark, who landed in Virginia in 1704 [6]
• ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Clark Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

• Zachariah Clark, who landed in America in 1801-1802 [6]
• William Clark, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1804 [6]
• Patrick Clark, who landed in Louisiana in 1805-1809 [6]
• Francois Clark, who arrived in Louisiana in 1805-1809 [6]
• Elnr Clark, who arrived in America in 1805 [6]
• ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Clark Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

• George Henry Clark, who arrived in Alabama in 1917 [6]

from https://www.ancestry.com/name-origin?surname=Clark

There are 4 million census records available for the last name Clark. There are 381,000 immigration records available for the last name Clark. There are 665,000 military records available for the last name Clark.

In 1940, Laborer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the US named Clark. 13% 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

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.

from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clark

According to the 1990 United States Census, Clark was the twenty-first most frequently encountered surname, accounting for 0.23% of the population.

Clark migration to Canada

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Clark Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

• Alexander Clark, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1749
• Alexander Clark, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
• Mary Clark, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1750
• Rd Clark, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1750
• Thom Clark, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
• ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Clark Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

• John Clark, who landed in Canada in 1831
• Mary Clark, aged 18, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "John & Mary" from Belfast, Ireland
• William Clark, aged 27, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Billow" in 1833
• Francis Clark a painter, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Zephyr" in 1833
• Ann Clark, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Zephyr" in 1833
• ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Clark migration to Australia

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Clark Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

• William Clark, English convict from Surrey, who was transported aboard the "Ann" on August 1809, settling in New South Wales, Australia [7]
• Daniel Clark, English convict from London, who was transported aboard the "Almorah" on April 1817, settling in New South Wales, Australia [8]
• William Clark, English convict from Huntingdon, who was transported aboard the "Asia" on September 3rd, 1820, settling in New South Wales, Australia [9]
• Reuben Clark, English convict from London, who was transported aboard the "Agamemnon" on April 22, 1820, settling in New South Wales, Australia [10]
• William Clark, English convict from Surrey, who was transported aboard the "Adamant" on March 16, 1821, settling in New South Wales, Australia [11]
• ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Clark migration to New Zealand

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Clark Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

• Archibald Clark, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1840
• C Clark, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1840
• Peter Clark, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
• R Clark, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840 aboard the ship Tyne
• Rice Owen Clark, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
• ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Famous Clark names:

• Abraham Clark (1725–1794), was an American politician and Revolutionary War figure.
• Adam Clark, Scottish engineer, who supervised the construction of Széchenyi Chain Bridge, Budapest
• Anne Clark (born 1960), poet-songwriter
• Bob Clark (Benjamin "Bob" Clark) (1941 – 2007), American director
• Buddy Clark (1911–1940), American singer
• Carmel Clark (born 1965), New Zealand swimmer
• Catherine Clark (born 1976), Canadian television host
• Chris Clark, an electronic musician signed to Warp Records
• Colin Clark, British economist
• Davis Wasgatt Clark (1812–1871), a Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church
• Daniel Clark, a Canadian actor
• Dwight Clark, American Football Player
• Frank M. Clark (1915-2003), US Congressman from Pennsylvania
• Sir George Clark (historian) (1890–1979), British historian
• George Clark (mayor of New Orleans)
• George Clark (naturalist) (1807-1873), British naturalist who worked as a teacher and minister on Mauritius
• George M. "Potsy" Clark (1895-1972), American Football Coach.
• George Rogers Clark (1752–1818), American Revolutionary War military leader
• Ginger Clark (1879-1943), Major League Baseball pitcher
• Glenn Clark, coach of Toronto Rock
• Helen Clark (born 1950), current Prime Minister of New Zealand
• several people names James Clark
• Joe Clark (born 1939), former Prime Minister of Canada
• several people named John Clark
• several people named Joseph Clark
• Katy Clark (born 1967), British politician and trade union official
• Kenneth Clark(1914–2005), African American psychologist who testified in Brown v. Board of Education
• Sir Kenneth Clark(1902–1979), British art historian and creator of the series, Civilisation.
• Mark Wayne Clark (1896–1984), United States Army general during World War II
• Otey Clark (born 1915), Major League Baseball pitcher
• Ramsey Clark (born 1927), American Attorney General, activist
• Ryan Clark American lead singer for the Christian Heavy metal band, Demon Hunter
• Samuel Clark (1800-1870), U.S. politician
• Samuel Delbert Clark (1910-2003) Canadian sociologist
• Stuart Clark (born 1975), Australian Cricketer
• several people named Thomas Clark
• Tom Clark Canadian television journalist
• Tom C. Clark (1899–1977), Attorney General of the United States, Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, father of Attorney General Ramsey Clark
• Wendel Clark (born 1966), retired Canadian ice hockey player
• Wesley K. Clark (born 1944) 4-Star General, US Army
• Wilfrid Le Gros Clark (1895-1971), palaeanthropologist
• William Clark (1770-1838) Co-Commander, Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery
• Will Clark (born 1964), American baseball player
• William Tierney Clark (1783–1852), English engineer, designer of suspension bridges
• Clark Sisters is a group of American gospel vocalists from Detroit
• Clark University in Worcester, MA.
• Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, GA.
• Clark College a community college in Vancouver, Washington.
• Clark Air Base, a former American airbase in the Philippines.
• Clark Material Handling Company, a forklift truck manufacturer in Lexington, Kentucky
• Clark Bar candy bar
• Clark Bridge A bridge over the Mississippi River
  • that takes Highway 367 from St. Charles County, Missouri into Alton, Illinois
• Clark Super Gas, a 20th century gas station chain
• Numerous Clark High Schools
• Clarks is also the name of a British shoe store and manufacturer.
• The Clarks are a rock band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Contemporary Notables of the name Clark (post 1700)

• Roy Linwood Clark (1933-2018), American singer and musician, best known for having co-hosting Hee Haw, the nationally televised country variety show, from 1969 to 1997, inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2009
• William Clark (1770-1838), American explorer, soldier, Indian agent, and territorial governor, best remembered as co-leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition across the Louisiana Purchase to the Pacific Ocean
• Dwight Edward Clark (1957-2018), American football wide receiver and football executive, inducted into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame (2011)
• David Eugene Clark (1936-2018), American men's pole vaulter at the 1960 Summer Olympics
• Guy Charles Clark (1941-2016), American Texas country and folk singer, musician, songwriter, recording artist
• Wesley Allison Clark (1927-2016), American physicist and computer engineer credited for designing the first modern personal computer, charter recipient of the IEEE Computer Society Computer Pioneer Award for "First Personal Computer."
• Barbara M. Clark (1939-2016), American politician, Member of the New York State Assembly (1987-2016)
• Nancy Randall Clark (1938-2015), American schoolteacher and politician, Member of the Maine House of Representatives (1973-1978)
• David Crosby Clark Jr. (1926-2015), American politician and attorney, Member of the Florida House of Representatives (1968-1974)
• Eugenie Clark (1922-2015), nicknamed "The Shark Lady," an American ichthyologist, known for her research on poisonous fish of the tropical seas and on the behavior of sharks

Historic Events for the Clark family

Air New Zealand Flight 901

• Mr. Wiliam Henry Clark (1912-1979), New Zealander passenger, from Takanini, Auckland, New Zealand aboard the Air New Zealand Flight 901 for an Antarctic sightseeing flight when it flew into Mount Erebus; he died in the crash [12]
• Ms. Iris Clark (1914-1979), New Zealander passenger, from Takanini, Auckland, New Zealand aboard the Air New Zealand Flight 901 for an Antarctic sightseeing flight when it flew into Mount Erebus; she died in the crash [12]
• Ms. Irene Alice Clark (1904-1979), New Zealander passenger, from Belmont, Lower Hutt, North Island, New Zealand aboard the Air New Zealand Flight 901 for an Antarctic sightseeing flight when it flew into Mount Erebus; she died in the crash [12]
• Mr. David Clark (1919-1979), New Zealander passenger, from Mt. Wellington, East Auckland, New Zealand aboard the Air New Zealand Flight 901 for an Antarctic sightseeing flight when it flew into Mount Erebus; he died in the crash [12]

Empress of Ireland

• Mr. Thomas Clark (1891-1914), Canadian Third Class Passenger from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada who was returning to England due to Consumption and died in the sinking of the Empress of Ireland [13]
• Mrs. Ellen Clark (1866-1914), Canadian Third Class Passenger from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada who was returning to England with son who had Consumption and died in the sinking of the Empress of Ireland [13]
• Mr. Charles Robert Clark (1873-1914), British First Class Passenger returning from Detroit, Michigan, United States who survived the sinking on the Empress of Ireland [13]
• Mr. Stephen Clark (1895-1914), American Third Class Passenger from Chicago, Illinois, United States who was traveling aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking [13]

Flight 191

• S Clark, American passenger from USA, who flew aboard American Airlines Flight 191 and died in the crash [14]

Halifax Explosion

• Mr. Amos Clark (1908-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the explosion [15]
• Mr. George Clark, Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the explosion [15]

HMAS Sydney II

• Mr. Thomas Welsby Clark (1920-1941), Australian Able Seaman from Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, who sailed into battle aboard HMAS Sydney II and died in the sinking [16]
• Mr. Daniel Murchie Clark (1919-1941), Australian Acting Leading Stoker from Lithgow, New South Wales, Australia, who sailed into battle aboard HMAS Sydney II and died in the sinking [16]

HMS Dorsetshire

• William Gordon Clark (d. 1945), British Boy Seaman 1st Class aboard the HMS Dorsetshire when she was struck by air bombers and sunk; he died in the sinking [17]

HMS Hood

• Mr. Robert G Clark (b. 1921), English Marine serving for the Royal Marine from Romford, Essex, England, who sailed into battle and died in the sinking [18]
• Mr. Leonard A Clark (b. 1912), English Marine serving for the Royal Marine from Whitehill, Hampshire, England, who sailed into battle and died in the sinking [18]
• Mr. John F Clark (b. 1915), English Leading Seaman serving for the Royal Navy from Motcombe, North Shaftsbury, England, who sailed into battle and died in the sinking [18]
• Mr. Jack C P Clark (b. 1922), English Ordinary Seaman serving for the Royal Navy from Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, England, who sailed into battle and died in the sinking [18]

HMS Prince of Wales

• Mr. William Clark, British Boy 1st Class, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales and survived the sinking [19]
• Mr. Keith Hood Fergusson Clark, British Midshipman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales and survived the sinking, also sailed aboard the HMS Exeter [19]
• Mr. Donald Clark, British Able Bodied Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales and survived the sinking [19]

HMS Repulse

• Mr. Victor Cecil Froggatt Clark, British Lieutenant Commander, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse and survived the sinking [20]

HMS Royal Oak

• John Clark (d. 1939), British Able Seaman with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died in the sinking [21]
• Ralph Lennox Woodrow Clark (d. 1939), British Lieutenant (E) with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died in the sinking [21]
• H. Clark, British Telegraphist with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he survived the sinking [21]
• Frederick Henry Clark (1923-1939), British Boy 1st Class with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died in the sinking [21]
• Albert Henry Clark (1920-1939), British Sick Berth Attendant with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died in the sinking [21]

RMS Lusitania

• Master Robert James Clark, English Steward's Young Assistant from Bootle, Lancashire, England, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania and survived the sinking [22]

RMS Titanic

• Mr. William Clark, aged 39, English Fireman/Stoker from Southampton, Hampshire who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and survived the sinking escaping on life boat 15 [23]
• Mrs. Virginia Estelle Clark, (née McDowell), aged 26, American First Class passenger from Los Angeles, California who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and survived the sinking escaping in life boat 4 [23]
• Mr. Walter Miller Clark (d. 1912), aged 27, American First Class passenger from Los Angeles, California who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking [23]

USS Arizona

• Mr. George Francis Clark, American Gunner's Mate Third Class from Illinois, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking [24]
• Mr. John Crawford Todd Clark, American Fireman Third Class from California, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking [24]
• Mr. Malcolm Clark, American Baker Third Class from Louisiana, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking [24]
• Mr. Robert William Clark Jr., American Fire Controlman Third Class from Pennsylvania, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking [24]