Clark
From Old English clerc (“clergyman; learned man”), whence also clerk.
Every Clark since 1880 — 51,205 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Clark
Clark is moderately common for boys in the United States, ranked #377 in 2025 with 837 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 51,205 American babies have been named Clark. Its peak came in 2015, when 883 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 2010s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Clark stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Clark year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 18 | #6,373 | 837 | #377 |
| 2024 | 20 | #5,994 | 726 | #437 |
| 2023 | 17 | #6,730 | 709 | #439 |
| 2022 | 16 | #7,050 | 729 | #427 |
| 2021 | 26 | #4,992 | 794 | #396 |
| 2020 | 23 | #5,358 | 793 | #387 |
| 2019 | 22 | #5,652 | 805 | #389 |
| 2018 | 21 | #5,828 | 855 | #376 |
| 2017 | 20 | #6,097 | 861 | #381 |
| 2016 | 16 | #7,336 | 867 | #378 |
| 2015 | 15 | #7,713 | 868 | #372 |
| 2014 | 7 | #13,383 | 814 | #383 |
| 2013 | 12 | #9,155 | 617 | #456 |
| 2012 | — | — | 473 | #551 |
| 2011 | 7 | #13,677 | 385 | #619 |
| 2010 | 5 | #17,600 | 335 | #695 |
| 2009 | — | — | 336 | #708 |
| 2008 | — | — | 341 | #695 |
| 2007 | 7 | #14,248 | 385 | #632 |
| 2006 | — | — | 323 | #692 |
| 2005 | 6 | #14,891 | 245 | #792 |
| 2004 | — | — | 262 | #727 |
| 2003 | — | — | 220 | #793 |
| 2002 | — | — | 211 | #809 |
| 2001 | — | — | 201 | #818 |
| 2000 | — | — | 218 | #761 |
| 1995 | — | — | 285 | #607 |
| 1990 | — | — | 342 | #536 |
| 1985 | — | — | 284 | #517 |
| 1980 | — | — | 261 | #533 |
| 1975 | — | — | 224 | #535 |
| 1970 | — | — | 381 | #418 |
| 1965 | — | — | 624 | #300 |
| 1960 | — | — | 608 | #317 |
| 1955 | — | — | 724 | #255 |
| 1950 | — | — | 624 | #262 |
| 1945 | 5 | #4,671 | 424 | #289 |
| 1940 | — | — | 427 | #272 |
| 1935 | — | — | 376 | #280 |
| 1930 | 5 | #4,671 | 255 | #359 |
| 1925 | — | — | 272 | #358 |
| 1920 | 5 | #5,110 | 308 | #333 |
| 1915 | — | — | 289 | #296 |
| 1910 | — | — | 71 | #292 |
| 1905 | — | — | 48 | #287 |
| 1900 | — | — | 75 | #230 |
| 1895 | — | — | 53 | #246 |
| 1890 | — | — | 51 | #233 |
| 1885 | — | — | 45 | #245 |
| 1880 | — | — | 49 | #237 |
Famous people named Clark
- Clark Gable Actor · 1901–1960
- Clark L. Hull Psychologist · 1884–1952
- Clark Ashton Smith Writer · 1893–1961
- Clark Gregg Actor · b. 1962
- Clark Terry Musician · 1920–2015
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Clark mean?
From Old English clerc (“clergyman; learned man”), whence also clerk.
How popular is the name Clark in 2025?
Clark ranked #377 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 837 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Clark?
51,205 babies have been named Clark in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Clark most popular?
Clark peaked in 2015, when 883 newborns received the name.
Is Clark a boy or girl name?
Clark is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 99% of babies with the name.
Is the name Clark rising or falling?
Clark has been roughly stable over the past decade.
Who are famous people named Clark?
Well-known people named Clark include Clark Gable (actor), Clark L. Hull (psychologist), Clark Ashton Smith (writer).