2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Geake
An English surname derived from the Middle English word "gek" meaning "cuckoo".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 161 Americans carry the last name Geake. That puts it at #127,742 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,128,909 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Geake 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 Geake with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
161
1 in 2,128,909
Census rank
#127,742
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
140
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 140 bearers of the surname Geake in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 127742nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Geake, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (1.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Geake
The surname Geake has its origins in the English county of Cornwall, dating back to the late medieval period. It is derived from the Cornish place name "Gook," which means "red" or "ruddy," likely referring to the reddish hue of the soil or vegetation in the area where the name originated.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Geake can be found in the Cornish Subsidy Rolls of 1524, where it is spelled "Geyke." This suggests that the name had already been established in Cornwall by the early 16th century.
In the 17th century, variations of the name such as "Geke," "Geeke," and "Geyke" appeared in parish records and other documents from the Cornish parishes of Gwennap, Wendron, and Stithians, among others. This indicates that the name was concentrated in these areas during this period.
The Geake surname is also associated with the Cornish town of Camborne, where a family of that name owned land and property in the 18th and 19th centuries. One notable member was John Geake (1701-1779), a prosperous merchant and landowner who served as the Mayor of Camborne.
Another prominent individual bearing the Geake surname was William Geake (1775-1855), a Cornish Methodist minister and author who published several works on religious topics during the early 19th century.
In the late 19th century, the Geake family played a significant role in the mining industry of Cornwall. Richard Geake (1836-1905) was a successful mine captain and entrepreneur who owned several mines in the St. Austell area.
Beyond Cornwall, the name Geake has also been recorded in other parts of England, although it remains relatively rare. One notable example is Arthur Geake (1891-1928), a British aviator and World War I fighter pilot from Bedfordshire.
While the surname Geake is not as common as some other English surnames, it has a rich history rooted in the Cornish landscape and culture, with various branches of the family contributing to different aspects of Cornish society over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Geake
Among Census respondents with the surname Geake, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (1.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Geake 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 Geake surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.0% · 133
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 4
- Two or more races1.4% · 2
- Black or African American0.7% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Geake
Geake 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
#135,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
+7 bearers (+6.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,479 places
2020
#127,742
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 140
+16 bearers (+12.9%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 7,851 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #135,593 | 124 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.0%) | Down 2,479 places |
| 2020 | #127,742 | 140 | 0.05 | +16 bearers (+12.9%) | Up 7,851 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 Geake 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 | #135,593 | #127,742 | 5.8% |
| Count | 124 | 140 | 12.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.05 | 17.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Geake bearers went from 124 to 140 (+12.9% change). The surname moved up 7,851 positions in the national ranking, going from #135,593 to #127,742.
FAQ
Geake surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Geake?
Name Census estimates that about 161 living Americans carry the surname Geake. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,128,909 residents.
How common is Geake?
Geake ranks #127,742 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 140 people with the surname Geake. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (161), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Geake.
Has Geake become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Geake went from 124 recorded bearers to 140. That is an increase of 16 (+12.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #135,593 to #127,742.
What does the Census say about the background of Geake?
Among Census respondents with the surname Geake, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (1.4%). 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 Geake in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.0% (133 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Geake appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.0%), Hispanic (2.9%), Two or More Races (1.4%). 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 Geake (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 Geake mean?
An English surname derived from the Middle English word "gek" meaning "cuckoo". 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 Geake (0.05 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 common is the surname Geake?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Geake at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.