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

Rake, 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 Rake surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rake in America

Rake is the 16265th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rake surname appeared 1,773 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 Rake.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rake 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 Rake

The surname RAKE is an English occupational name derived from the Old English word 'raca', meaning a rake or a toothed gardening tool used for gathering hay, leaves, or grass. This name likely originated in the medieval period, when surnames based on occupations were becoming more widespread.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname RAKE can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, where a person named William Rake is mentioned. The Hundred Rolls were administrative records compiled during the reign of King Edward I, providing valuable insight into the names and occupations of people living in England at that time.

The RAKE surname appears to have been concentrated in various regions of England, including Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, and Norfolk. In some areas, the name may have also been derived from certain place names containing the word "rake," such as Rakehill in Yorkshire or Rakemere in Cheshire.

In the 16th century, a notable bearer of the RAKE surname was William Rake, a prominent English clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Northampton from 1543 until his death in 1561. Another historically significant figure was Richard Rake, a soldier who fought in the English Civil War during the 17th century.

During the late 17th and early 18th centuries, the RAKE surname can be found in various parish records and legal documents across England. For instance, a marriage record from 1694 in Leicestershire mentions a John Rake, while a will from 1711 in Norfolk references a Thomas Rake.

Other notable individuals with the RAKE surname include Joseph Rake (1693-1770), an English engraver and surveyor, and Thomas Rake (1757-1846), a British army officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars. In the literary realm, the English writer and critic Isaac Reed (1742-1807) was born with the surname Rake, though he later changed it to Reed.

Throughout its history, the RAKE surname has maintained a strong presence in England, particularly in rural areas where agricultural occupations were common. While the surname is not among the most numerous in England, it has endured as a testament to the importance of agricultural tools and practices in the country's cultural heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rake

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

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

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

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