This name has the same remote origins in Ireland, England and Scotland. The Latin word clericus originally meant clergyman and then came to mean clerk or scholar. In Irish, the word clé was anglicised in translation to Clarke. Until the end of the 19th century, the names Cleary and Clarke were interchangeable in some parts of the country. The O'Clery name was originally found in County Galway and later became widespread in counties Donegal and Derry.

The Clarkes were noted as poets and antiquarians. The most famous person to hold the name was Austin Clarke (1896-1974), one of Ireland's most outstanding poets. In bordeaux, Château Clarke, a leading vineyard in the region, was developed by Luc Tobie Clarke, a great grandson of James Clarke, who was an alderman of Dublin City in 1688. Harry Clarke was one of the most renowned Irish artists in stained glass in the 20th century. His work can be seen in innumerable churches and convents around Ireland and in Bewley's cafe in Grafton Street, Dublin.