2000
#27,105
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 840
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.31
Rare Last name
Jake
A surname derived from the given name Jacob, ultimately from Hebrew meaning "supplanter" or "holder of the heel".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,099 Americans carry the last name Jake. That puts it at #26,789 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.32 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 311,878 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Jake 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 Jake with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.1K
1 in 311,878
Census rank
#26,789
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
958
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 958 bearers of the surname Jake in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.32 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 26789th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Jake, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 51.1%. The next largest groups are White (27.9%) and Black (12.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jake
Among Census respondents with the surname Jake, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 51.1%. The next largest groups are White (27.9%) and Black (12.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Jake 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 Jake surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- American Indian and Alaska Native51.1% · 490
- White27.9% · 267
- Black or African American12.8% · 123
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 41
- Two or more races3.0% · 29
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Jake
Jake 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
#25,924
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 948
+108 bearers (+12.9%)
Per 100,000 0.32
Rank movement Up 1,181 places
2020
#26,789
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 958
+10 bearers (+1.1%)
Per 100,000 0.32
Rank movement Down 865 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #27,105 | 840 | 0.31 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #25,924 | 948 | 0.32 | +108 bearers (+12.9%) | Up 1,181 places |
| 2020 | #26,789 | 958 | 0.32 | +10 bearers (+1.1%) | Down 865 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 Jake 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 | #25,924 | #26,789 | -3.3% |
| Count | 948 | 958 | 1.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.32 | 0.32 | 0.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Jake bearers went from 948 to 958 (+1.1% change). The surname moved down 865 positions in the national ranking, going from #25,924 to #26,789.
FAQ
Jake surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Jake?
Name Census estimates that about 1,099 living Americans carry the surname Jake. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 311,878 residents.
How common is Jake?
Jake ranks #26,789 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.32 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 958 people with the surname Jake. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,099), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.32 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.32 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 Jake.
Has Jake become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Jake went from 948 recorded bearers to 958. That is an increase of 10 (+1.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #25,924 to #26,789.
What does the Census say about the background of Jake?
Among Census respondents with the surname Jake, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 51.1%. The next largest groups are White (27.9%) and Black (12.8%). 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?
American Indian/Alaska Native is the largest self-reported group for the surname Jake in the 2020 Census, accounting for 51.1% (490 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Jake appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are American Indian/Alaska Native (51.1%), White (27.9%), Black (12.8%). 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 Jake (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 Jake mean?
A surname derived from the given name Jacob, ultimately from Hebrew meaning "supplanter" or "holder of the heel". 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 Jake (0.32 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 Jake?
Find out how common the surname Jake is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.