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

Raker, 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 Raker surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Raker in America

Raker is the 10302nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Raker surname appeared 3,127 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 Raker.

We can also compare 2010 data for Raker 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 Raker

The surname "RAKER" is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be an occupational name derived from the Old English word "racu," meaning "rake." This suggests that the earliest bearers of the surname were likely involved in agricultural work, specifically using rakes to gather hay or other crops.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1176, which mention a "Walter le Rakere." The use of the Norman-French prefix "le" before the occupational term indicates that the name was already well-established by this time.

In the 13th century, the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire (1273) contain a reference to a "William le Rakere." Similarly, the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296 list a "John le Raker." These records provide evidence of the name's widespread use across different regions of England during the Middle Ages.

As the surname evolved over time, various spelling variations emerged, such as "Raker," "Racker," and "Rayker." Some of these variations may have been influenced by regional dialects or scribal errors in record-keeping.

One notable bearer of the name was John Raker (c. 1500-1560), a English clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Winchester from 1553 until his death. Another individual with this surname was Thomas Raker (1587-1670), a prominent landowner and member of the Virginia House of Burgesses in the early colonial era of North America.

In the 17th century, the name appeared in various parish records across England. For example, the baptismal records of St. Mary's Church in Warwick list the christening of "Elizabeth Raker" in 1635, and the marriage records of St. Peter's Church in Leeds document the union of "William Raker and Jane Smith" in 1662.

The 18th century saw the emergence of several notable individuals bearing the Raker surname. One such figure was Samuel Raker (1711-1784), a renowned clockmaker and inventor from London, whose innovative timepieces were highly sought after by the nobility and gentry of the time.

Another prominent individual was Mary Raker (1755-1823), a pioneering educator who established one of the first schools for girls in the city of Bristol. Her progressive teaching methods and dedication to providing quality education for young women were widely praised during her lifetime.

By the 19th century, the Raker surname had spread beyond England to other parts of the British Isles and beyond. One notable bearer was Robert Raker (1825-1897), a Scottish industrialist who played a significant role in the development of the textile industry in the city of Dundee.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Raker

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

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

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

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