Why do they call a man nobby with the surname clarke?

Question

Why do they call a man nobby with the surname clarke?

Answer 1

Because in years gone by the clerks of the  courts (Law) in England used to wear a hat called a nobby hat. As time went by people with the surname Clarke, Clerk etc. sometimes had the nickname Nobby.

Answer 2

Nobby Clark

The explanation given for the use of this nickname is that clerks (pronounced "clarks" in British dialects) in the City of London used to wear Nobby hats, or top hats. Alternate spellings include "Knobby" and "Clarke".

An alternate explanation for the name Nobby attached to the surname Clarke is thus: 16th century monks wrote letters for the illiterate. These monks were referred to as "Clerks". The outcome of so much writing causes callouses on the fingers "nobs" and therefore Nobby Clerks was born'

In England the term "nob" is used to refer to a member of the aristocracy and by extension a posh person. A clerk (pronounced "clark" in British dialects) would deal with the common people but would be better educated, better paid and in a position of relative power. To the uneducated, clerks were posh and therefore considered to be "nobs". Hence, nobby Clark. Clerks were also required to maintain a high standard of dress, and were paid a clothing allowance. The result was that they always appeared smart. Both the Oxford English and the English Dialect Dictionaries list nobby as being of a rich man, a nob or toff, or “smart”, and gives it a wide distribution, so smart persons were "nobby".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobby