NameCensus.

UK surname

Jake

A surname derived from the given name Jacob, ultimately from Hebrew meaning "supplanter" or "holder of the heel".

In the 1881 census there were 33 people recorded with the Jake surname, ranking it #28,965 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 124, ranked #26,975, up from #28,965 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Cambridgeshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Jake is 124 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 275.8%.

1881 census count

33

Ranked #28,965

Modern count

124

2016, ranked #26,975

Peak year

2016

124 bearers

Map years

1

2016 to 2016

Key insights

  • Jake had 33 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #28,965 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 124 in 2016, ranked #26,975.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 33 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Jake surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Jake surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Jake 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 30 #27,891
1861 historical 3 #33,861
1881 historical 33 #28,965
1891 historical 7 #33,665
1901 historical 3 #34,063
1911 historical 16 #31,804
1997 modern 14 #36,528
1998 modern 8 #37,334
1999 modern 8 #37,367
2000 modern 6 #37,624
2001 modern 3 #38,091
2002 modern 4 #37,921
2003 modern 3 #38,198
2004 modern 2 #38,464
2005 modern 7 #37,581
2006 modern 7 #37,634
2007 modern 7 #37,687
2008 modern 11 #37,270
2009 modern 16 #36,850
2010 modern 25 #36,273
2011 modern 30 #35,949
2012 modern 53 #34,657
2013 modern 66 #34,003
2014 modern 84 #32,823
2015 modern 92 #32,075
2016 modern 124 #26,975

Geography

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Where Jakes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Cambridgeshire. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Cambridgeshire 007 South Cambridgeshire
2 South Cambridgeshire 013 South Cambridgeshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Jake

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Jake

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Jake surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Jake 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 is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Jake 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

Jake is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

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

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Jake falls in decile 2 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Jake is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
Other Ethnic Group

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

Meaning and origin of Jake

The surname Jake is of English origin, and it is believed to have emerged in the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. It is thought to be a patronymic name, derived from the given name "Jack," which itself was a diminutive form of the name "John." The name "Jack" was commonly used as a nickname for men named John in England during the Middle Ages.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Jake can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from the year 1327, where a person named William Jake is mentioned. This suggests that the surname was already in use by that time.

The surname Jake may also have been influenced by the Old French word "jaque," which referred to a type of defensive jacket or coat worn by soldiers and peasants during the Middle Ages. It is possible that the name Jake was initially an occupational surname, given to individuals who made or wore these jackets.

In the 15th century, the surname Jake was recorded in various locations across England, including Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, and Lincolnshire. Some historical records from this period include references to individuals such as John Jake of Nottinghamshire (1428) and Thomas Jake of Yorkshire (1459).

One notable individual with the surname Jake was Robert Jake, a merchant and alderman in the city of Norwich, England, who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries (c. 1560-1637). Another prominent figure was Sir John Jake, a Member of Parliament for the borough of Bridport in Dorset, England, who served during the late 17th century (c. 1650-1718).

Other notable individuals with the surname Jake include William Jake, an English poet and playwright from the early 18th century (c. 1690-1755), and Samuel Jake, a renowned English clockmaker who lived and worked in London during the late 18th and early 19th centuries (c. 1770-1845).

In the 19th century, the surname Jake continued to be found in various parts of England, as well as in other English-speaking countries where British settlers had migrated, such as the United States, Canada, and Australia.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Jake families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Jake 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. Middlesex leads with 11 Jakes recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.42x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 11 3.42x
Staffordshire 9 8.29x
Gloucestershire 7 11.10x
Essex 2 3.15x
Norfolk 1 2.02x
Surrey 1 0.64x
Sussex 1 1.84x
Yorkshire 1 0.31x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bristol St Philip Jacob in Gloucestershire leads with 7 Jakes recorded in 1881 and an index of 117.85x.

Place Total Index
Bristol St Philip Jacob 7 117.85x
Harborne 6 172.41x
Islington London 3 9.62x
Limehouse London 3 84.99x
St George In East London 3 99.01x
Wednesbury 2 73.80x
Battersea 1 8.45x
Brightside Bierlow 1 16.00x
Hackney London 1 5.55x
Hastings St Mary 1 74.07x
Norwich St Clement 1 175.44x
St Marylebone London 1 5.82x
Wanstead 1 90.09x
West Ham 1 7.13x
Wolverhampton 1 11.98x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 4
Albert 2
William 2
Charles 1
George 1
James 1
Joseph 1
Welham 1

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 Jake households.

FAQ

Jake surname: questions and answers

How common was the Jake surname in 1881?

In 1881, 33 people were recorded with the Jake surname. That placed it at #28,965 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Jake surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 124 in 2016. That gives Jake a modern rank of #26,975.

What does the Jake surname mean?

A surname derived from the given name Jacob, ultimately from Hebrew meaning "supplanter" or "holder of the heel".

What does the Jake map show?

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