Given name & surname
Lake
“from the still waters”
Lake is used as a given name and a surname. One American interpretation is “from the still waters.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One American interpretation is “from the still waters.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is American.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1891. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Lake through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 3,924
- 2,987 boys · 937 girls
- Most popular year
- 2022
- 154 babies
- 2025
- 114
- #2,068 for boys · #3,619 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +10%
- Rising
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 62% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 72 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 2,068 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 23.4% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. It also appeared in 42 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (8). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 2,760 as a first name in 2020; 31,187 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Lake’s family of names
Lake has a related form in Laken. Lake has a related form in Laken. Lake has a related form in Laiken.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 12
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Lakenvariant
- Laykenvariant
- Laikenvariant
- Laykevariant
- Laikevariant
- Laikvariant
- Llakelikely variant
- Lakemanvariant · English
Show 4 moreShow fewer
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 3
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Lake
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Lake, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Linden
“from the hill of lime trees” · “from the lime tree”
58% boys · 42% girls
Arley
“from the hare's meadow”
68% boys · 32% girls
Storm
Storm is used as a given name and a surname. One American interpretation is “of the tempest; stormy weather; having an impetuous nature.”
42% boys · 58% girls
Huntley
“from the hunter's meadow”
51% boys · 49% girls
Ridley
“from the meadow of reeds”
43% boys · 57% girls
Starling
“resembling the bird”
40% boys · 60% girls
Hollis
“near the valley of the holly bushes” · “from the holly tree”
56% boys · 44% girls
Hanley
“from the high meadow”
54% boys · 46% girls