NameCensus.

UK surname

Cake

An English surname derived from the Old Norse word "kake" meaning a small cake or biscuit.

In the 1881 census there were 309 people recorded with the Cake surname, ranking it #9,517 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 363, ranked #12,777, down from #9,517 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Poole St James, London parishes and Dorchester Holy Trinity, Fordington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Dorset, East Dorset and Poole.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cake is 407 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 17.5%.

1881 census count

309

Ranked #9,517

Modern count

363

2016, ranked #12,777

Peak year

1911

407 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cake had 309 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,517 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 363 in 2016, ranked #12,777.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 407 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Cake surname distribution map

The map shows where the Cake surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Cake surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cake over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 99 #17,294
1861 historical 319 #7,987
1881 historical 309 #9,517
1891 historical 383 #9,178
1901 historical 363 #10,145
1911 historical 407 #9,176
1997 modern 325 #12,832
1998 modern 321 #13,275
1999 modern 317 #13,473
2000 modern 285 #14,422
2001 modern 295 #13,867
2002 modern 301 #13,962
2003 modern 280 #14,472
2004 modern 282 #14,451
2005 modern 277 #14,542
2006 modern 269 #14,952
2007 modern 278 #14,773
2008 modern 280 #14,823
2009 modern 302 #14,353
2010 modern 314 #14,258
2011 modern 304 #14,475
2012 modern 311 #14,173
2013 modern 337 #13,537
2014 modern 343 #13,463
2015 modern 346 #13,284
2016 modern 363 #12,777

Geography

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Where Cakes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Poole St James, London parishes, Dorchester Holy Trinity, Fordington, Tolpuddle and Wimborne Minster, Gussage All Saints, Chalbury. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Dorset, East Dorset, Poole and Purbeck. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Poole St James Dorset
2 London parishes London 3
3 Dorchester Holy Trinity, Fordington Dorset
4 Tolpuddle Dorset
5 Wimborne Minster, Gussage All Saints, Chalbury Dorset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Dorset 004 West Dorset
2 East Dorset 012 East Dorset
3 Poole 007 Poole
4 Poole 017 Poole
5 Purbeck 005 Purbeck

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cake

These lists show first names that appear often with the Cake surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cake

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Cake, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Cake surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Cake household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Cake is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Cake is most concentrated in decile 4 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cake falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Cake is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Cake, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Cake

The surname "CAKE" is believed to have originated in England in the late 13th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old English word "cac", which meant a lump or a mass, and was often used to refer to a small round loaf of bread.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "CAKE" appears in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire in 1273, where a Robert Cake is listed. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname for a baker or someone who made small loaves of bread.

In the 14th century, the surname "CAKE" is found in various records across different counties in England, including the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where a Walter Cake is mentioned, and the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire in 1348, which list a John Cake.

During the 16th century, the surname "CAKE" appears to have spread to other parts of the British Isles, with records showing individuals with this name in Scotland and Ireland. One notable example is Sir John Cake (c. 1545-1612), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Grantham in Lincolnshire.

In the 17th century, the surname "CAKE" is found in various parish records and court documents across England. One noteworthy individual from this time period is William Cake (1635-1692), an English nonconformist minister and author who was arrested and imprisoned for his religious beliefs.

As the surname "CAKE" continued to spread across the British Isles and beyond, it also began to appear in various spellings, such as "Caik", "Caike", and "Cayke". One example of this is John Caik (c. 1650-1718), a Scottish merchant and landowner who lived in Leith, near Edinburgh.

Other notable individuals with the surname "CAKE" throughout history include Thomas Cake (1737-1811), an English clergyman and author who wrote on various theological subjects, and Benjamin Cake (1788-1849), an English architect and surveyor who designed several buildings in London.

Overall, the surname "CAKE" has a long and varied history, with its origins likely stemming from an occupational name for a baker or someone who made small loaves of bread in medieval England. Despite its somewhat unusual spelling, the name has persisted through the centuries and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life across the British Isles and beyond.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cake families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cake surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Dorset leads with 172 Cakes recorded in 1881 and an index of 86.67x.

County Total Index
Dorset 172 86.67x
Hampshire 47 7.58x
Kent 15 1.45x
Somerset 15 3.08x
Warwickshire 11 1.44x
Middlesex 10 0.33x
Lancashire 9 0.25x
Hertfordshire 8 3.84x
Surrey 6 0.41x
Brecknockshire 3 4.96x
Devon 3 0.48x
Norfolk 3 0.65x
Yorkshire 3 0.10x
Buckinghamshire 2 1.09x
Essex 1 0.17x
Gloucestershire 1 0.17x
Royal Navy 1 2.78x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Tolpuddle in Dorset leads with 15 Cakes recorded in 1881 and an index of 4687.50x.

Place Total Index
Tolpuddle 15 4687.50x
Wareham St Martin 14 1842.11x
Bincombe 11 4782.61x
Toller Fratrum 10 16666.67x
Barwick 9 1836.73x
Birmingham 9 3.54x
Portsea 9 7.41x
Buckland Ripers 8 5000.00x
Stinsford 8 2285.71x
Woodsford 8 4210.53x
Hinton Martel 7 1794.87x
Mottistone 7 4666.67x
Puddletown 7 573.77x
Sellinge 7 1044.78x
Wimborne Minster 7 218.07x
Charminster 6 379.75x
Christchurch 6 44.64x
Fordington 6 140.52x
Hampreston 6 416.67x
Plumstead 6 17.45x
Sturminster Marshall 6 722.89x
Taunton St James 6 84.51x
Church Knowle 5 862.07x
Godshill 5 349.65x
Hammersmith London 5 6.71x
Heap 5 26.27x
Holdenhurst 5 30.75x
Rickmansworth 5 87.11x
Sturminster 5 260.42x
Winterborne Kingston 5 925.93x
Camberwell 4 2.07x
Catherington 4 291.97x
Kinson 4 103.09x
Ringwood 4 100.76x
Spetisbury 4 727.27x
Upway 4 533.33x
Wareham Holy Trinity 4 459.77x
Abbots Langley 3 96.77x
Brecknock St David 3 185.19x
Dorchester Holy Trinity 3 186.34x
Eston 3 45.94x
Farnworth 3 13.95x
Lytchett Matravers 3 416.67x
Parkstone 3 129.31x
Thetford St Cuthbert 3 178.57x
Corfe Castle 2 108.70x
Moreton Hampstead 2 122.70x
Paddington London 2 1.80x
Solihull 2 36.50x
Southampton St Mary 2 5.13x
Taplow 2 181.82x
Tuners Puddle 2 1538.46x
Winfrith Newburgh 2 202.02x
Affpuddle 1 196.08x
Aldershot 1 4.82x
Athelhampstone 1 1250.00x
Bere Regis 1 75.19x
Bromley 1 6.36x
Burlestone 1 1666.67x
Cheltenham 1 2.19x
Haigh 1 80.00x
Hampstead London 1 2.12x
Idsworth 1 243.90x
Lambeth 1 0.38x
Lewisham 1 1.82x
Leyton 1 9.73x
Lytchett Minster 1 113.64x
Mile End Old Town London 1 1.55x
Newington 1 0.90x
Newport 1 29.76x
Royal Navy 1 3.25x
South Stoneham 1 7.44x
Southampton All Sts 1 9.41x
St Pancras London 1 0.41x
Staverton 1 129.87x
Tarrant Crawford 1 1666.67x
Tyneham 1 357.14x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Cake surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Cake surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

FAQ

Cake surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cake surname in 1881?

In 1881, 309 people were recorded with the Cake surname. That placed it at #9,517 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cake surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 363 in 2016. That gives Cake a modern rank of #12,777.

What does the Cake surname mean?

An English surname derived from the Old Norse word "kake" meaning a small cake or biscuit.

What does the Cake map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Cake bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.