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

Jake, 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 Jake surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jake in America

Jake is the 25924th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jake surname appeared 948 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 Jake.

We can also compare 2010 data for Jake 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 Jake

The surname Jake is of English origin, and it is believed to have emerged in the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. It is thought to be a patronymic name, derived from the given name "Jack," which itself was a diminutive form of the name "John." The name "Jack" was commonly used as a nickname for men named John in England during the Middle Ages.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Jake can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from the year 1327, where a person named William Jake is mentioned. This suggests that the surname was already in use by that time.

The surname Jake may also have been influenced by the Old French word "jaque," which referred to a type of defensive jacket or coat worn by soldiers and peasants during the Middle Ages. It is possible that the name Jake was initially an occupational surname, given to individuals who made or wore these jackets.

In the 15th century, the surname Jake was recorded in various locations across England, including Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, and Lincolnshire. Some historical records from this period include references to individuals such as John Jake of Nottinghamshire (1428) and Thomas Jake of Yorkshire (1459).

One notable individual with the surname Jake was Robert Jake, a merchant and alderman in the city of Norwich, England, who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries (c. 1560-1637). Another prominent figure was Sir John Jake, a Member of Parliament for the borough of Bridport in Dorset, England, who served during the late 17th century (c. 1650-1718).

Other notable individuals with the surname Jake include William Jake, an English poet and playwright from the early 18th century (c. 1690-1755), and Samuel Jake, a renowned English clockmaker who lived and worked in London during the late 18th and early 19th centuries (c. 1770-1845).

In the 19th century, the surname Jake continued to be found in various parts of England, as well as in other English-speaking countries where British settlers had migrated, such as the United States, Canada, and Australia.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jake

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

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 Jake 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 Jake 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 Jake was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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