UK name, mostly boys
Lake
A unisex name symbolizing serenity, peacefulness, and natural beauty.
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Also recorded as a girls' name in the UK, with 103 girls.
Lake is mostly registered for boys in the UK records. People looking for Lake popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #898, with 35 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2023, with 57 births.
This profile covers 336 England and Wales registrations across 20 recorded years from 1997 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 61% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 355 living people in the UK are called Lake. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Lake ranked #898 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 35 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2023, when 57 boys were registered as Lake.
- • Lake ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #433 in 2021.
- • Lake is also recorded for girls, but the boys side is the larger UK variant in these records.
- • About 355 living people in the UK are estimated to have Lake as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 76.5% of Lake registrations are for boys.
Latest rank (E&W)
#898
2024
Births in 2024
35
Latest year
Peak year
2023
57 births
Estimated living
355
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Lake
In England and Wales birth records, Lake has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 76.5% of registrations are for boys and 23.5% are for girls.
These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.
Lake registered for boys
- Ranked #898 in 2024
- 35 boys registered in 2024
- Peak: 2023 (57 births)
Lake registered for girls
- Ranked #4,843 in 2024
- 4 girls registered in 2024
- Peak: 2018 (16 births)
Meaning
What does Lake mean?
The name Lake has its origins in the Old English language, derived from the word "lacu," which means a body of standing water. This name's history can be traced back to the 5th century AD, when the Anglo-Saxons settled in Britain and brought their language with them.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lake can be found in the Domesday Book, a survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as a surname, indicating that it was likely used as a descriptive identifier for someone who lived near a lake or worked on a lake.
In the Middle Ages, the name Lake was primarily associated with bodies of water and their significance in everyday life. Lakes were important sources of food, water, and transportation, and the name likely held a practical and symbolic meaning for those who bore it.
The earliest known person with the first name Lake was Lake Vaux, an English landowner and politician who lived in the 15th century. He was a member of the House of Commons and served as the Sheriff of Northamptonshire in 1444.
Another notable figure with the name Lake was Sir Thomas Lake, an English scholar, and statesman who lived from 1567 to 1630. He served as the Secretary of State for King James I and was a prominent figure in the English court.
In the 17th century, Lake Gibbons was an English actor and playwright who was a member of the King's Men, one of the most famous acting companies in London during the Elizabethan and Jacobean eras.
In the 19th century, Lake Price was an American politician and lawyer who served as the 21st Governor of Missouri from 1853 to 1857. He played a pivotal role in the state's response to the Kansas-Nebraska Act and the issue of slavery.
More recently, Lake Bell is an American actress, writer, and director who has appeared in various films and television shows. She was born in 1979 and is known for her work in projects such as "Boston Legal," "What Happens in Vegas," and "Childrens Hospital."
While the name Lake was once more closely tied to its literal meaning, it has evolved over time to become a unique and distinctive name in its own right, carrying with it a sense of tranquility and natural beauty.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Lake over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Lake in England and Wales, from 1997 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Lake, the clearest high point is 2023. The latest England and Wales figure is 35 births in 2024, compared with 57 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Lake by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Lake was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #799 | 208 | 5 |
| 2010s | #2277 | 95 | 9 |
| 2000s | #2760 | 30 | 5 |
| 1990s | #2859 | 3 | 1 |
Geography
Where Lake is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Lake. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Lake ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #433 in 2021.
Across the UK
Lake in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#435 in 2023
3 years of NRS records, 18 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#433 in 2021
1 years of NISRA records, 3 total registered
Related
Names similar to Lake
- Luke 72,247
- Lewis 69,555
- Leo 63,249
- Liam 60,482
- Lucas 49,061
- Logan 40,771
- Louis 35,898
- Luca 30,323
- Louie 24,242
- Leon 22,308
- Levi 9,931
- Lee 7,861
FAQ
Lake: questions and answers
How popular is the name Lake in the UK right now?
In 2024, Lake was ranked #898 for boys in England and Wales, with 35 births registered.
When was Lake most popular?
The peak year on record was 2023, with 57 babies registered as Lake in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Lake?
A unisex name symbolizing serenity, peacefulness, and natural beauty.
How many people are called Lake in the UK?
A total of 336 babies have been registered as Lake across the 20 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 18 more in Scotland and 3 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Lake most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Lake ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #433 in 2021. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.