2000
#8,631
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,507
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.30
Rare Last name
Lakey
Derived from the Middle English word "lake," referring to someone who lived near or worked by a lake.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,796 Americans carry the last name Lakey. That puts it at #9,417 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 90,294 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lakey 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 Lakey with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.8K
1 in 90,294
Census rank
#9,417
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,310 bearers of the surname Lakey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9417th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lakey, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.9%. The next largest groups are Black (6.7%) and Two or More Races (5.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lakey
The surname Lakey originated in England, with roots tracing back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English words "læcc" and "ey," meaning a small stream or brook and an island or dry ground within a marsh or fen, respectively. This suggests that the name likely referred to someone who lived near a small stream or brook on an island or dry ground within a marshy area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lakey can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275, where it was spelled as "de Lackey." This indicates that the name was initially a locational surname, referring to a specific place or area where the family originated.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various records with slight variations in spelling, such as "Lakye," "Lakie," and "Laky." These variations were common during that time due to the inconsistent spelling conventions of the era.
One notable historical figure bearing the surname Lakey was John Lakey, a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol during the 16th century. He was born around 1520 and played a significant role in the city's trade and governance.
Another individual of note was Sir Walter Lakey, a military officer who served in the English Civil War during the 17th century. He was born in 1610 and fought for the Parliamentarian forces, earning recognition for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield.
In the 18th century, the name Lakey appeared in various parish records throughout England, particularly in the counties of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Nottinghamshire. One notable individual from this period was Thomas Lakey, a renowned clockmaker born in 1720 in Yorkshire. His intricate timepieces were highly sought after and are now considered important pieces of horological history.
Moving into the 19th century, the name Lakey gained further prominence with the birth of William Lakey in 1837. He was a prominent industrialist and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the development of the textile industry in the north of England.
Another notable figure was Emily Lakey, born in 1865, who was a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights. She played a crucial role in establishing educational opportunities for women and promoting gender equality in Britain during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lakey
Among Census respondents with the surname Lakey, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.9%. The next largest groups are Black (6.7%) and Two or More Races (5.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Lakey 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 Lakey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.9% · 2,743
- Black or African American6.7% · 222
- Two or more races5.6% · 184
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 102
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 38
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lakey
Lakey 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
#8,235
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,025
+518 bearers (+14.8%)
Per 100,000 1.36
Rank movement Up 396 places
2020
#9,417
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,310
-715 bearers (-17.8%)
Per 100,000 1.11
Rank movement Down 1,182 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,631 | 3,507 | 1.30 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,235 | 4,025 | 1.36 | +518 bearers (+14.8%) | Up 396 places |
| 2020 | #9,417 | 3,310 | 1.11 | -715 bearers (-17.8%) | Down 1,182 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 Lakey 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 | #8,235 | #9,417 | -14.4% |
| Count | 4,025 | 3,310 | -17.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.36 | 1.11 | -18.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lakey bearers went from 4,025 to 3,310 (-17.8% change). The surname moved down 1,182 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,235 to #9,417.
FAQ
Lakey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lakey?
Name Census estimates that about 3,796 living Americans carry the surname Lakey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 90,294 residents.
How common is Lakey?
Lakey ranks #9,417 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.11 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,310 people with the surname Lakey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,796), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.11 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.11 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Lakey.
Has Lakey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lakey went from 4,025 recorded bearers to 3,310. That is a decrease of 715 (-17.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,235 to #9,417.
What does the Census say about the background of Lakey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lakey, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.9%. The next largest groups are Black (6.7%) and Two or More Races (5.6%). 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 Lakey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.9% (2,743 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lakey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.9%), Black (6.7%), Two or More Races (5.6%). 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 Lakey (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 Lakey mean?
Derived from the Middle English word "lake," referring to someone who lived near or worked by a lake. 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 Lakey (1.11 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 Americans have the surname Lakey?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.