Clarke
Girl name · #1521 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Clarke? In official American birth records, Clarke has been tracked continuously since 1991, giving it 34 years of documented American history.
Clarke is currently the #1521 girl name in the United States — 140 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #3299, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 12,857 girls born in 2025 was named Clarke.
The 34-year story
Clarke first appears in the Social Security records in 1991, when 22 girls received the name. Its peak came in 2021, when 152 girls were named Clarke — good for #1419 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Clarke per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Clarke against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Clarke in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Clarke is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Clarke will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Clarke is most common
State-level data for Clarke is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Clarke
Statistically, parents drawn to Clarke tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Blayke, Zelie, Bowie, Esmae, and Jhene.
BlaykeZelieBowieEsmaeJheneAdoreEmberleeJournie
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Clarke | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 140 | #1518 |
| 2024 | 108 | #1852 |
| 2023 | 133 | #1581 |
| 2022 | 139 | #1540 |
| 2021 | 152 | #1419 |
| 2020 | 142 | #1503 |
| 2019 | 115 | #1773 |
| 2018 | 92 | #2084 |
| 2017 | 95 | #2053 |
| 2016 | 76 | #2426 |
| 2015 | 49 | #3299 |
| 2014 | 32 | #4455 |
| 2013 | 19 | #6462 |
| 2012 | 25 | #5398 |
| 2011 | 23 | #5728 |
| 2010 | 24 | #5602 |
| 2009 | 23 | #5891 |
| 2008 | 17 | #7408 |
| 2007 | 15 | #8098 |
| 2006 | 14 | #8237 |
| 2005 | 12 | #8883 |
| 2004 | 19 | #6216 |
| 2003 | 9 | #10425 |
| 2002 | 16 | #6698 |
| 2001 | 17 | #6322 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Clarke?
In official American birth records, the name Clarke first appeared in 1991 (over 34 years ago), when 22 newborn girls received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 34 years.
Is Clarke a popular girl name?
Clarke ranked #1521 among girls in 2025 with 140 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #3299.
When was the name Clarke most popular?
Clarke peaked in 2021, when 152 American girls received the name (ranked #1419 that year). Since 2021 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Clarke?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 12,857 newborn American girls was named Clarke. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.