English surname originally denoting an occupation: a cleric or scribe. Clarke is a spelling variant of Clark, from Old English clerc ('cleric, clerk'), which traces back to Latin clericus, meaning priest or cleric.
Vibe
sturdyunderstated
How it ages.
A steady occupational surname worn as a first name; low profile rather than fashionable, and not tied to any trend.
The cultural moment.
Rare as a first name in both the United Kingdom and the United States; mostly met as a surname, the English occupational name Clarke.