Clerkin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

The ancient name of Clerkin finds its origins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It comes from a name for a person who concerned himself with matters of scholarly importance or of religious orders or as a secretary. The surname Clerkin originally derived from the Latin form clericus. Even today, the word and profession clerk is typically pronounced clark throughout the United Kingdom.

The name may have been Norman in origin, having descended from the name Le Clerc and generally means "a learned person-that is, one who could in old times read and write-accomplishments. " 1

Indeed, the name was seen in early rolls in both Normandy and England. "Twenty of the name occur in 1198; of these, nine also occur in England 1199; and the families of the name generally seem to have had members in both countries." 2

Early Origins of the Clerkin family

The surname Clerkin was first found in Hampshire where Richerius clericus was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086. A few years later, Willelm le Clerec was listed in Somerset in 1100 and Reginald Clerc was listed in the Curia Rolls of Rutland in 1205. 3

"Absent in Wales, and scarce in most of the counties on the Welsh border. Best represented in Buckinghamshire, Essex, Leicestershire, Rutlandshire, and Nottinghamshire. " 4

"As a surname, Clarke appears frequently to have aliased some other appellative; for instance the Baronet family, Clarke of Salford, originally Woodchurch, from the parish of that name in Kent, soon after the Conquest became Clarkes (Le Clerc) in consequence of a marriage with an heiress, and the family for some generations wrote themselves "Woodchurch alias Le Clerc," and vice versa." 1

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 proved the widespread use of the name in both Latin and early English forms: Boniface Clericus, Lincolnshire; Thomas le Clerk, Lincolnshire; Batekyn Clericus, Essex; Gilbert le Clerk, Oxfordshire; and Tomas le Clerck, Buckinghamshire. 5

Yet just over one hundred years later, the "Le" prefix was dropped and the Latin form of the name was deprecated as seen in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 which listed: Robertus Clarke; Beatrix Clerc; and Henricus Clerk. 5

Early History of the Clerkin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Clerkin research. Another 76 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1599, 1639, 1655, 1659, 1669, 1675, 1683, 1689, 1693, 1695, 1700, 1704, 1714, 1729, 1735 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Clerkin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Clerkin Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Clerkin family name include Clark, Clerk and others.

Early Notables of the Clerkin family

Distinguished members of the family include Sir James Clark, a physician to the King; Samuel Clarke (1599-1683), an English clergyman and significant Puritan biographer; William Clerk, LL.D...
Another 26 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Clerkin Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Clerkin family to Ireland

Some of the Clerkin family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 107 words (8 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Clerkin migration to the United States +

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Clerkin surname or a spelling variation of the name include :

Clerkin Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Anne Clerkin, aged 40, who landed in America, in 1896

Clerkin Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Thomas Clerkin, aged 22, who immigrated to the United States from Liverpool, in 1904
Bernard Clerkin, aged 17, who landed in America from Castlisahan, Co. Cavan, in 1905
Bridget Clerkin, aged 24, who immigrated to the United States from Castlisahan, Co. Cavan, in 1905
Ellen Clerkin, aged 22, who immigrated to America from Shercock, Ireland, in 1906
Catherine Clerkin, aged 26, who immigrated to the United States from Monaghan, Ireland, in 1906
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Clerkin (post 1700) +

Dennis Clerkin (b. 1950), American bridge player with six international wins from Bloomington, Indiana
John J. Clerkin (b. 1949), American Republican politician in the Vermont House of Representatives 6
Dick Clerkin, Irish Gaelic footballer who plays for Currin
Cavan Clerkin (b. 1973), British television actor and writer from Hackney, London, best known for playing Simon Barrett in Muscle

The Clerkin Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Fortitudo
Motto Translation: Fortitude.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2013, January 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html