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

Rakes, 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 Rakes surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rakes in America

Rakes is the 9765th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rakes surname appeared 3,318 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 Rakes.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rakes 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 Rakes

The surname RAKES has its roots in the Old English language and is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, specifically in the 9th or 10th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "racu," which means a rake or a long-handled tool used for gathering hay or other materials.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the RAKES surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and property rights in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. In this historical document, the name appears as "Racus," which is believed to be an early variation of the modern spelling.

During the Middle Ages, the RAKES surname was primarily found in the counties of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, where many families with this name were engaged in agricultural activities. The name was likely given as an occupational surname to individuals who worked with rakes or were responsible for gathering and storing hay or other crops.

In the 14th century, there are records of a John Rakes who lived in the village of Leybourne, Kent, England. Another notable individual was William Rakes, a landowner and farmer who lived in the village of Harpham, Yorkshire, in the late 15th century.

As time passed, the RAKES surname spread to other parts of England and even beyond. One notable bearer of this name was Sir Thomas Rakes (1572-1644), an English politician and Member of Parliament who played a significant role in the English Civil War.

Another prominent individual with the RAKES surname was John Rakes (1667-1727), a successful merchant and businessman from Bristol, England, who made a significant fortune through his trading ventures in the West Indies and North America.

In the 19th century, the RAKES surname gained further recognition with the birth of George Rakes (1819-1890), a renowned British architect who designed several notable buildings, including the Royal Albert Hall in London.

While the RAKES surname has undergone some spelling variations over the centuries, such as Rakes, Raikes, and Raykes, its origins and meaning have remained closely tied to the agricultural roots and occupational history of its earliest bearers.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rakes

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

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

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

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