NameCensus.

UK surname

Drake

An occupational surname referring to a male duck or a nickname for a male with a duck-like gait.

In the 1881 census there were 8,707 people recorded with the Drake surname, ranking it #485 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 9,149, ranked #713, down from #485 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Halifax and Bradford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bradford and North Norfolk.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Drake is 10,866 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 5.1%.

1881 census count

8,707

Ranked #485

Modern count

9,149

2016, ranked #713

Peak year

1911

10,866 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Drake had 8,707 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #485 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 9,149 in 2016, ranked #713.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 10,866 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Drake surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Drake surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Drake 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 5,893 #473
1861 historical 5,571 #493
1881 historical 8,707 #485
1891 historical 8,934 #496
1901 historical 10,318 #506
1911 historical 10,866 #453
1997 modern 9,319 #675
1998 modern 9,655 #675
1999 modern 9,664 #681
2000 modern 9,612 #682
2001 modern 9,338 #687
2002 modern 9,410 #697
2003 modern 9,183 #698
2004 modern 9,157 #701
2005 modern 8,931 #707
2006 modern 8,926 #707
2007 modern 9,016 #710
2008 modern 8,970 #714
2009 modern 9,101 #724
2010 modern 9,228 #732
2011 modern 9,090 #729
2012 modern 9,010 #721
2013 modern 9,273 #711
2014 modern 9,316 #713
2015 modern 9,176 #716
2016 modern 9,149 #713

Geography

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Where Drakes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Halifax, Bradford and Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bradford and North Norfolk. 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 London parishes London 1
2 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
3 London parishes London 3
4 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos Norfolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bradford 043 Bradford
2 Bradford 031 Bradford
3 Bradford 023 Bradford
4 Bradford 058 Bradford
5 North Norfolk 014 North Norfolk

Forenames

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First names often paired with Drake

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Drake

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Drake, 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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Drake is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Drake is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Drake falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Drake is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Drake

The surname Drake originated from the Old English word "draca" meaning dragon or serpent. It first appeared in England during the Anglo-Saxon period, before the Norman conquest of 1066. Originally, it may have been a nickname or descriptive name for someone who was considered brave or fierce in battle, like a dragon.

The earliest known recorded spelling of the Drake surname dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was listed as Drache and Draco. These early renderings suggest the name may have had Norman French influences as well. In the 12th century, it appeared as Draic in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire.

Drake was a fairly common name in medieval England, particularly in the counties of Yorkshire, Derbyshire, and Devon. It may have derived from placenames like Drake Hole in Derbyshire or Drakelow in Worcestershire. The oldest known bearer was William Drake, born in Yorkshire in 1190.

A notable early figure was Sir Francis Drake (c. 1540-1596), the famous English sea captain, navigator, and slave trader who circumnavigated the globe between 1577 and 1580. He was born in Devon and achieved renown for his exploits against the Spanish Armada.

Another prominent Drake was Sir William Drake (1609-1690), an English merchant and royalist during the English Civil War. He was Lord Mayor of London in 1667. Michael Drake (1598-1662) was an English politician and landowner who sat in the House of Commons between 1640 and 1653.

Later, Benjamin Drake (1794-1841) was an American pioneer and founder of Cincinnati, Ohio. The surname also has connections to the Drake family of Asher, Hampshire, including Sir Francis Drake (1617-1662), an English royalist officer during the Civil War.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Drake families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Drake 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. Yorkshire leads with 2,384 Drakes recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.83x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 2,384 2.83x
Middlesex 1,157 1.36x
Devon 604 3.41x
Norfolk 484 3.70x
Surrey 456 1.10x
Lancashire 427 0.42x
Essex 385 2.29x
Dorset 351 6.28x
Kent 306 1.05x
Hampshire 257 1.47x
Suffolk 224 2.16x
Gloucestershire 217 1.30x
Cambridgeshire 142 2.63x
Durham 133 0.53x
Somerset 105 0.77x
Nottinghamshire 85 0.74x
Warwickshire 79 0.37x
Cornwall 69 0.72x
Wiltshire 64 0.85x
Sussex 63 0.44x
Buckinghamshire 53 1.03x
Leicestershire 52 0.55x
Staffordshire 52 0.18x
Lincolnshire 51 0.37x
Lanarkshire 47 0.17x
Rutland 45 7.20x
Berkshire 40 0.63x
Hertfordshire 39 0.66x
Glamorgan 38 0.26x
Oxfordshire 37 0.70x
Worcestershire 37 0.33x
Cumberland 33 0.45x
Derbyshire 27 0.20x
Cheshire 24 0.13x
Midlothian 20 0.18x
Northamptonshire 18 0.22x
West Lothian 14 1.09x
Huntingdonshire 12 0.71x
Northumberland 12 0.09x
Royal Navy 10 0.99x
Channel Islands 9 0.36x
Bedfordshire 8 0.18x
Monmouthshire 8 0.13x
Stirlingshire 8 0.25x
Aberdeenshire 6 0.08x
Shropshire 6 0.08x
Angus 5 0.06x
Herefordshire 5 0.14x
Ayrshire 4 0.06x
Pembrokeshire 4 0.15x
Fife 2 0.04x
Berwickshire 1 0.10x
Brecknockshire 1 0.06x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.03x
Cardiganshire 1 0.05x
Clackmannanshire 1 0.14x
Isle of Man 1 0.06x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Northowram in Yorkshire leads with 153 Drakes recorded in 1881 and an index of 25.87x.

Place Total Index
Northowram 153 25.87x
Thornton In Bradford 147 52.36x
Leeds 130 2.73x
Halifax 118 9.53x
Bradford 114 5.58x
Horton In Bradford 114 8.66x
St Pancras London 114 1.66x
Islington London 99 1.20x
Hipperholme Cum 89 24.02x
West Ham 86 2.32x
Huddersfield 75 6.10x
Manningham 74 7.12x
Lambeth 70 0.94x
Hackney London 68 1.43x
Hilton 65 336.44x
Shoreditch London 63 1.71x
Bermondsey 59 2.33x
Camberwell 59 1.09x
Eling 58 32.82x
Kensington London 57 1.20x
Paddington London 55 1.76x
Clayton 54 26.16x
Chelsea London 53 2.07x
Mile End Old Town London 51 2.82x
Rotherhithe 51 4.85x
Bethnal Green London 50 1.35x
Cleckheaton 49 15.77x
Plymouth St Andrew 47 3.44x
Great Yarmouth 46 4.24x
Bowling 42 5.03x
St Andrewthe Less 42 6.82x
Holbeck 40 7.16x
Allerton 39 36.28x
Barnsley 39 4.48x
Poplar London 39 2.43x
Woolwich 39 3.64x
Navestock 38 156.38x
Portsea 38 1.11x
Sheffield 38 1.42x
Hammersmith London 36 1.72x
Honley 36 24.39x
St Marylebone London 36 0.79x
Liverpool 34 0.55x
Shipley 33 7.54x
St George Hanover Square 33 2.20x
Bromley London 32 1.71x
Hartshead 32 84.68x
Hulme 32 1.52x
Hunslet 32 2.43x
Mirfield 32 6.91x
Ipswich St Margaret 31 8.81x
Plymouth Charles The 30 3.84x
Liversedge 29 7.72x
Norwich St Clement 29 19.12x
Batley 28 3.49x
Battersea 28 0.89x
Lewisham 28 1.81x
Manchester 28 0.62x
Tormoham 28 3.74x
Ecclesall Bierlow 27 1.57x
Great Bolton 27 2.02x
Newington 27 0.86x
Aston 26 0.44x
Clerkenwell London 26 1.29x
Walthamstow 26 4.30x
Westoe 26 1.81x
Southowram 25 9.71x
Bristol St George 24 3.11x
Exeter St Sidwell 24 5.92x
Hornsey 24 2.23x
Streatham 24 3.80x
Calverley Cum Farsley 23 9.60x
Stockley 23 71.70x
Stoke Damerel 23 1.85x
Barking 22 4.48x
Brightside Bierlow 22 1.33x
Bury St Edmunds St James 22 7.95x
Everton 22 0.68x
Forncett St Mary 22 274.66x
Castleford 21 6.84x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 587
Elizabeth 342
Sarah 318
Emma 170
Ellen 149
Ann 148
Jane 148
Annie 142
Alice 122
Eliza 121
Emily 108
Hannah 104
Martha 103
Harriet 75
Louisa 66
Maria 64
Charlotte 60
Ada 58
Florence 55
Edith 54
Caroline 49
Fanny 47
Clara 42
Kate 38
Frances 37
Margaret 37
Susan 37
Amelia 35
Harriett 31
Agnes 30
Lucy 30
Catherine 29
Anne 26
Susannah 24
Julia 22
Laura 22
Matilda 22
Eleanor 21
Lydia 21
Gertrude 20
Sophia 20
Esther 19
Isabella 19
Minnie 18
Rebecca 18
Rose 18
Beatrice 16
Eva 16
Jessie 16
Bessie 15

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 473
John 458
George 255
James 212
Thomas 212
Henry 176
Charles 172
Joseph 137
Francis 116
Arthur 105
Alfred 97
Robert 89
Samuel 86
Edward 85
Walter 85
Frederick 83
Herbert 56
Richard 55
Harry 52
Albert 51
Frank 46
Edwin 42
Ernest 34
Fred 32
David 31
Benjamin 28
Wm. 25
Isaac 24
Thos. 23
Daniel 17
Jonas 14
Sam 13
Stephen 13
Tom 13
Percy 10
Abraham 9
Edgar 9
Jonathan 9
Lewis 9
Geo. 8
Philip 8
Edmund 7
Fredk. 7
Horace 7
Jesse 7
Joe 7
Joshua 7
Michael 7
Harold 6
Sidney 6

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Drake households.

FAQ

Drake surname: questions and answers

How common was the Drake surname in 1881?

In 1881, 8,707 people were recorded with the Drake surname. That placed it at #485 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Drake surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 9,149 in 2016. That gives Drake a modern rank of #713.

What does the Drake surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a male duck or a nickname for a male with a duck-like gait.

What does the Drake map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Drake 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.