Below is a combination of information that I found on the Clark family name.


Spelling variations include: Clark, Clarke, Clerk and others.

First found in Northumberland, where they were seated from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Some of the first settlers of this name or some of its variants were: Edward Clark, who settled in Virginia in 1635; Joe Clark, who settled in Virginia in 1635; Anne Clark, who settled in Virginia in 1663; Henry Clark, who settled in the Barbados in 1680.
The distinguished surname Clark is Anglo-Saxon in origin. It is derived from the Old English "clerec," which is itself derived from the Latin "clericus," meaning "priest." The term "clerec" originally denoted a member of a religious order; however, as these were the only people who were taught to read and write, the term eventually came to refer to any literate man. Thus, the name Clark may refer to a scholar, a scribe, a secretary, or a member of a religious order.
First found in Northumberland, where the ancestral home of the Clark family is thought to be located. The family was seated in this county from the days before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.
Some of the first settlers of this name or some of its variants were: Edward Clark and Joe Clark, who both settled in Virginia in 1635; as did Anne Clark in 1663; Henry Clark, who immigrated to the Barbados in 1680; Donald Clark and his wife Barbara Grey, who came to Georgia in 1735 with their five children, Hugh Clark, who emigrated from Scotland to Georgia in 1757.
Suggested Readings for the name Clark
"Adam's Ancestors (including the Clark Family)" by Thomas Nathan Clark.
Some noteworthy people of the name Clark

* Charles Manning Hope Clark (1915-) Australian historian
* Grahame Douglas Clark (1907-) English archaeologist
* Jim Clark (1936-1968) Scottish racing driver
* Joe Charles Joseph Clark (1939-) Canadian politician
* Kenneth Mackenzie Clark (1903-1983) English art historian
* Mark Wayne Clark (1896-1984) American soldier
* Michael Clark (1962) Scottish dancer and choreographer
* William Mansfield Clark (1884-1964) American chemist
* Dane Clark (1913-) American actress
* Dick Clark (1929-) American entertainer
* Roy Clark (1933-) American actor
* Petula Clark (1932-) English entertainer
* Susan Clark (1940-) Canadian actress
* Fraser Clark (contemporary) Scottish "zen-inspired paranoia professional"
* Joe Clark (1939-) Canadian Prime Minister
* Abraham Clark (1726-1794) American signer of declaration of Independence
* Kenneth McKenzie Clark (1903-1983) British art critic
* Wilfred Edward Clark (1895-) British anatomist
* Mark Clark (1896-1984) American military leader
* Graeme Clark Scottish musician