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

Lakes, 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 Lakes surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lakes in America

Lakes is the 11152nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lakes surname appeared 2,840 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Lakes.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lakes 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 Lakes

The surname Lakes is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "lacu," meaning a small body of water or a pool. It is believed to have originated as a toponymic surname, referring to someone who lived near a lake or a body of water.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Lakes can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a landowner named William de Laca in Lincolnshire, England. This early spelling variation, "de Laca," suggests that the name was initially associated with a specific location or geographical feature.

During the Middle Ages, the surname Lakes was prevalent in various regions of England, particularly in the counties of Lancashire, Yorkshire, and Lincolnshire. These areas were known for their numerous lakes and bodies of water, which may have influenced the widespread adoption of the surname.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Lakes was John de Lakesby, who lived in Yorkshire in the 13th century. The name Lakesby is derived from the Old Norse words "lækr" and "by," meaning a small stream and a village, respectively, further reinforcing the connection between the surname and geographical features related to water.

In the 14th century, the surname Lakes appeared in various historical records, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire, which listed individuals like Robert del Lakes and William de Lakes. These records provide evidence of the surname's prevalence during that period.

Notable figures throughout history who bore the surname Lakes include Sir Edward Lakes (1600-1676), an English politician and Member of Parliament, and Thomas Lakes (1753-1829), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars.

Another individual of note was John Lakes (1624-1689), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works, including "The Fountain of Life Opened" and "The Child's Delight."

In the 19th century, the surname Lakes was carried by individuals such as Henry Lakes (1825-1901), a British engineer and inventor known for his contributions to the development of the steam engine, and William Lakes (1837-1908), a Scottish artist and painter renowned for his landscapes and seascapes.

The surname Lakes continues to be found across various regions of the United Kingdom and other parts of the English-speaking world, reflecting its longstanding history and association with geographic features related to bodies of water.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lakes

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

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

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

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