Find out how popular the last name Drakes is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Drakes.

Drakes, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Drakes surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Drakes in America

Drakes is the 22026th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Drakes surname appeared 1,177 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Drakes.

We can also compare 2010 data for Drakes to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Drakes

The surname DRAKES is of English origin and can be traced back to the early medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "draca", meaning dragon or serpent. This name likely originated as a descriptive nickname or occupational name for someone who worked with or displayed the image of a dragon, such as a standard bearer or heraldic artist.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the DRAKES surname appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and population in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name is listed as "Draco", which was the Latin form of the word at the time.

In the 13th century, the name is found in various records spelled as "Drake", "Drakes", and "Drak". During this period, the surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Devon and Somerset in southwestern England, where it may have been associated with specific place names or local landmarks bearing the dragon symbol.

One notable bearer of the DRAKES surname was Sir Francis Drake (c. 1540-1596), the renowned English sea captain, navigator, and explorer. He was the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe and played a crucial role in the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588.

Another significant figure was Sir William Drake (1545-1617), a distant cousin of Sir Francis Drake, who served as a naval administrator and politician. He was appointed the Mayor of Plymouth in 1596 and later became a Member of Parliament.

In the literary world, Nathan Drake (1766-1836) was an English essayist, physician, and writer known for his works on Shakespeare and his contributions to literary criticism.

During the 18th century, the DRAKES surname was also associated with the Drake family of Ashe, a prominent English landed gentry family based in Devon. Notable members included Sir Francis Henry Drake (1723-1794), a British naval officer and baronet, and Sir Francis William Drake (1788-1854), a British politician and baronet.

As the name spread across England and later to other parts of the British Isles and beyond, variations in spelling emerged, including Drackes, Draikes, and Draykes. However, the core meaning and connection to the dragon or serpent symbol remained consistent throughout its history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Drakes

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Drakes.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Drakes was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Drakes has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Drakes was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Drakes, please contact us.

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