2000
#1,035
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 30,924
First available Census row
Per 100,000 11.46
Uncommon Last name
Lake
An English topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a body of water, such as a lake.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 35,763 Americans carry the last name Lake. That puts it at #1,108 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 10.43 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 9,584 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lake surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Lake with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
36K
1 in 9,584
Census rank
#1,108
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
10.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
31K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 31,187 bearers of the surname Lake in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 10.43 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1108th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lake, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.9%. The next largest groups are Black (12.1%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lake
The surname LAKE is of English origin, deriving from the Old English word 'lacu', meaning a body of fresh water or lake. This name likely originated as a topographic surname, given to individuals residing near a lake or other significant body of water.
One of the earliest records of the surname LAKE can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which listed a landowner named Radulfus de Lacu in Gloucestershire. This early spelling variation, 'de Lacu', translates to 'of the lake' in Latin, reinforcing the name's connection to geographical features.
During the Middle Ages, the surname LAKE became particularly prevalent in areas like Lancashire and Yorkshire, where numerous lakes and tarns dot the landscape. It's believed that many families adopted the name due to their proximity to these natural bodies of water.
In the 13th century, a notable figure named John del Lake was recorded as a landowner in the Yorkshire area. This spelling variation, 'del Lake', further solidifies the name's topographic origins.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname LAKE was Sir Thomas Lake (1567-1630), an English politician and Secretary of State to King James I. He played a significant role in the notorious Overbury Affair, which involved the murder of Sir Thomas Overbury.
Another prominent bearer of the LAKE surname was Arthur Lake (1905-1987), an American actor best known for his portrayal of the beloved character Dagwood Bumstead in the Blondie film series.
In literature, the surname LAKE is associated with the English poet and author Anna Bunston de Bary, also known as Anna Laetitia Waring (1820-1910). Her works, including the novel "The Maltese Cross," were published under the pen name Anna Laetitia Lake.
Sir Edward Lake (1813-1897) was a notable British Army officer who served in the Crimean War and later became the Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man.
Lastly, James A. Lake (1837-1917) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the 27th Governor of Connecticut from 1901 to 1905.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lake
Among Census respondents with the surname Lake, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.9%. The next largest groups are Black (12.1%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Lake bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Lake surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White77.9% · 24,302
- Black or African American12.1% · 3,783
- Two or more races4.4% · 1,364
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 1,087
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 350
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 301
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lake
Lake appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#1,091
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 32,104
+1,180 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 10.88
Rank movement Down 56 places
2020
#1,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 31,187
-917 bearers (-2.9%)
Per 100,000 10.43
Rank movement Down 17 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,035 | 30,924 | 11.46 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,091 | 32,104 | 10.88 | +1,180 bearers (+3.8%) | Down 56 places |
| 2020 | #1,108 | 31,187 | 10.43 | -917 bearers (-2.9%) | Down 17 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Lake surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,091 | #1,108 | -1.6% |
| Count | 32,104 | 31,187 | -2.9% |
| Per 100K | 10.88 | 10.43 | -4.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lake bearers went from 32,104 to 31,187 (-2.9% change). The surname moved down 17 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,091 to #1,108.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Lake
FAQ
Lake surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lake?
Name Census estimates that about 35,763 living Americans carry the surname Lake. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 9,584 residents.
How common is Lake?
Lake ranks #1,108 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 10.43 per 100,000 residents, which is about 10 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 31,187 people with the surname Lake. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (35,763), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 10.43 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 10.43 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 10 of them to have the surname Lake.
Has Lake become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lake went from 32,104 recorded bearers to 31,187. That is a decrease of 917 (-2.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,091 to #1,108.
What does the Census say about the background of Lake?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lake, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.9%. The next largest groups are Black (12.1%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Lake in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.9% (24,302 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lake appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (77.9%), Black (12.1%), Two or More Races (4.4%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Lake (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Lake mean?
An English topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a body of water, such as a lake. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Lake (10.43 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Lake?
You can see how many people have the last name Lake on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.