Clarke

Padraig Mac Giolla-Domhnaigh
1923

Clarke—This name is the anglicised form of both a Scottish, Manx, and Irish sept. In the first case it is the anglicised form of the Mac A' Chléirich sept of Dumbarton County, Scotland; the other anglicisations of the name being McAlery, McLeery, M'Cleery, McAleary, Lecky, and Leckie, all those names being found in Ulster.

In the second case the old Irish sept name Clery and Cleary has been anglicised Clarke in the districts of Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh; Tuam, Co. Galway; Bawnboy, Co. Cavan; and in North Sligo, in Gaelic O'Cleirigh. Clerkin (O'Cléireacháin) in North Connacht and Co. Cavan has been also anglicised Clarke.

Alphabetical Index of Anglicised Surnames in Ireland

See also Woulfe’s Irish Names and Surnames
and O'Hart's Irish Pedigrees