clarke as well as clark is also a widespread surname in england. the english version comes from anglo-saxon origin and was used in the middle ages for the name of a scribe or secretary. the word "clerc" came from the pre 7th century olde english "cler(e)c" (meaning priest) originally denoted to a member of a religious order only, but later grew rapidly outside the religious order. in the middle ages virtually the only people who could read and write were members of the religious order, making the word heavily associated with literacy. thus the surname became a popular term for a literate man, particularly for the professional secretary and the scholar. the english surnames "clarke" and "clark" are both spelling variations of the surname "clerk".