NameCensus.

UK surname

Jakes

An Anglicized form of the biblical name Jacob or Jacques.

In the 1881 census there were 563 people recorded with the Jakes surname, ranking it #6,155 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 754, ranked #7,258, down from #6,155 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Willingham, London parishes and Gamlingay. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Cambridgeshire, Central Bedfordshire and Fenland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Jakes is 758 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 33.9%.

1881 census count

563

Ranked #6,155

Modern count

754

2016, ranked #7,258

Peak year

2014

758 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Jakes had 563 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,155 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 754 in 2016, ranked #7,258.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 668 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Jakes surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Jakes surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Jakes 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 365 #6,492
1861 historical 367 #6,963
1881 historical 563 #6,155
1891 historical 532 #7,053
1901 historical 650 #6,642
1911 historical 668 #6,301
1997 modern 668 #7,513
1998 modern 698 #7,490
1999 modern 703 #7,488
2000 modern 703 #7,463
2001 modern 702 #7,351
2002 modern 728 #7,277
2003 modern 711 #7,288
2004 modern 712 #7,293
2005 modern 687 #7,460
2006 modern 692 #7,421
2007 modern 693 #7,484
2008 modern 702 #7,463
2009 modern 712 #7,539
2010 modern 713 #7,667
2011 modern 690 #7,773
2012 modern 717 #7,477
2013 modern 737 #7,445
2014 modern 758 #7,306
2015 modern 757 #7,247
2016 modern 754 #7,258

Geography

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Where Jakes' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Willingham, London parishes, Gamlingay, Peterborough St John the Baptist and St Paul Deptford, St Nicholas Deptford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Cambridgeshire, Central Bedfordshire and Fenland. 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 Willingham Cambridgeshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Gamlingay Cambridgeshire
4 Peterborough St John the Baptist Northamptonshire
5 St Paul Deptford, St Nicholas Deptford London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Cambridgeshire 013 South Cambridgeshire
2 Central Bedfordshire 003 Central Bedfordshire
3 Fenland 006 Fenland
4 South Cambridgeshire 001 South Cambridgeshire
5 Central Bedfordshire 005 Central Bedfordshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Jakes

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Jakes

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Jakes, 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 Jakes surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Jakes 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Jakes is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Jakes 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

Jakes falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Jakes 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 Jakes, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Jakes

The surname JAKES has its origins in England, with the earliest known records dating back to the late 12th century. The name is thought to have derived from the personal name "Jacques," a Norman French variation of the Latin name "Jacobus," meaning "supplanter" or "heel-catcher."

JAKES was initially prevalent in the counties of Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Lincolnshire, where many early bearers of the name were found. The name likely emerged as a patronymic, indicating "son of Jacques," and was often rendered with various spellings such as Jakes, Jaikes, Jayckes, and Jaikis.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1199, where a certain William Jakes is mentioned. Additionally, the Subsidy Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1301 list a Robert Jakes among the taxpayers.

In the 14th century, the JAKES surname can be found in the Plea Rolls of Essex from 1327, where a John Jakes is mentioned. The name also appears in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1279, which reference a Walter Jakes.

Notable historical figures with the surname JAKES include:

1. Thomas Jakes (c. 1510 - 1594), an English clergyman and academic who served as the President of Corpus Christi College, Oxford. 2. William Jakes (fl. 1615 - 1628), an English playwright and actor associated with the King's Men, a company of players in London. 3. John Jakes (born 1932), an American writer and biographer best known for his historical fiction novels, including the Kent Family Chronicles. 4. Joanna Jakes (born 1977), a British actress known for her roles in films such as "The Descent" and "Confetti." 5. Edward Jakes (1828 - 1894), an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Surrey and Kent in the mid-19th century.

Throughout its history, the JAKES surname has also been associated with various place names and their older spellings, such as Jakesham in Suffolk and Jakeslond in Buckinghamshire, further reflecting its English origins.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Jakes families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Jakes 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. Cambridgeshire leads with 166 Jakes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 47.72x.

County Total Index
Cambridgeshire 166 47.72x
Huntingdonshire 49 44.93x
Yorkshire 46 0.85x
Northamptonshire 33 6.39x
Norfolk 32 3.79x
Kent 27 1.44x
Middlesex 27 0.49x
Surrey 24 0.90x
Staffordshire 23 1.24x
Lincolnshire 16 1.82x
Sussex 15 1.62x
Warwickshire 14 1.01x
Derbyshire 12 1.40x
Lancashire 11 0.17x
Gloucestershire 10 0.93x
Essex 8 0.74x
Worcestershire 8 1.12x
Bedfordshire 7 2.46x
Leicestershire 6 0.99x
Somerset 6 0.68x
Nottinghamshire 5 0.68x
Monmouthshire 4 1.01x
Oxfordshire 4 1.18x
Brecknockshire 2 1.82x
Royal Navy 2 3.06x
Shropshire 2 0.42x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.20x
Cheshire 1 0.08x
Dorset 1 0.28x
Durham 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Willingham in Cambridgeshire leads with 69 Jakes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2323.23x.

Place Total Index
Willingham 69 2323.23x
Gamlingay 57 1574.59x
Castor 17 772.73x
Deptford St Paul 15 10.38x
Peterborough 15 40.11x
Middlesbrough 14 19.75x
Eynesbury 12 474.31x
Abbots Ripton 11 1486.49x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 11 21.70x
Birmingham 11 2.38x
Clapham 11 16.02x
Little Eversden 11 2750.00x
Northiam 10 440.53x
Sutton St Mary 10 120.48x
South Mimms 9 119.52x
Parson Drove 8 575.54x
West Bromwich 8 7.54x
Abbotsley 7 804.60x
Bisley 7 71.72x
Darlaston 7 27.32x
Hartshorn 7 215.38x
Yaxley 7 274.51x
East Norton 6 2400.00x
Greenwich 6 6.86x
March 6 51.50x
Stoke Trister 6 759.49x
Barking 5 15.76x
Caxton 5 467.29x
Cobham 5 113.90x
Denver 5 318.47x
Downham Market 5 86.21x
East Peckham 5 128.53x
Glatton Holme 5 833.33x
Gooderstone 5 543.48x
Horton In Bradford 5 5.88x
Paddington London 5 2.48x
Potton 5 132.63x
Sedgley 5 7.26x
Winshill 5 91.24x
York St Cuthbert 5 100.40x
Bedwellty 4 5.71x
Leeds 4 1.30x
Rawmarsh 4 20.80x
Tetworth 4 1025.64x
Thame 4 64.83x
Upwell 4 101.78x
Wimbotsham 4 373.83x
Camberwell 3 0.86x
Dudley 3 3.44x
Norwich St Peter Mancroft 3 70.75x
Oldbury 3 8.50x
St Marylebone London 3 1.02x
Tottenham 3 3.43x
Tydd St Mary 3 171.43x
West Ham 3 1.25x
Chatteris 2 22.52x
East Retford 2 31.15x
Ely Holy Trinity St Mary 2 13.18x
Hellingly 2 64.52x
Huntingdon St John 2 63.29x
Kingston 2 370.37x
Little Comberton 2 370.37x
Newchurch 2 3.75x
Preston 2 1.15x
Radford 2 5.32x
Royal Navy 2 3.58x
St George In East London 2 3.87x
Swaffham 2 29.11x
Wereham 2 172.41x
Westbury On Severn East 2 8.21x
Barton Bendish 1 121.95x
Beckley 1 43.29x
Burnley 1 1.82x
Lewisham 1 1.00x
Little Bolton 1 1.19x
Mickleham 1 66.67x
St Andrewthe Less 1 2.52x
St George Hanover Square 1 1.03x
Trowell 1 126.58x
Whitby 1 5.45x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 38
Elizabeth 28
Sarah 20
Eliza 16
Jane 13
Ellen 10
Annie 8
Emma 8
Martha 8
Harriet 7
Caroline 6
Ann 5
Clara 5
Fanny 5
Lucy 5
Alice 4
Emily 4
Margaret 4
Ada 3
Charlotte 3
Frances 3
Louisa 3
Lydia 3
Mabel 3
Maria 3
Rebecca 3
Ruth 3
Susanna 3
Betsey 2
Gertrude 2
Hannah 2
Marian 2
Maryann 2
Phoebe 2
Sophia 2
Thirza 2
Agness 1
Amy 1
Catherine 1
Emmeline 1
Emmiley 1
Ethel 1
Eveline 1
Flora 1
Florence 1
Lilly 1
Lizzey 1
Lizzie 1
Louise 1
Zingray 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 35
John 30
George 25
Thomas 18
Joseph 17
Charles 15
James 12
Arthur 9
Alfred 7
Edward 7
Harry 7
David 6
Frederick 6
Richard 6
Samuel 5
Henry 4
Robert 4
Fredrick 3
Herbert 3
Jonas 3
Albert 2
Elijah 2
Frank 2
Fredk. 2
Noah 2
Tom 2
Walter 2
Alexander 1
Arron 1
Bartholomew 1
Chas.Wm. 1
Crisp 1
Daniel 1
Edgar 1
Ernest 1
Ezra 1
Francis 1
Henery 1
Ivean 1
Jack 1
Jos. 1
Lazarus 1
Levi 1
Marmaduke 1
Owen 1
Peter 1
Philip 1
Price 1
Sidney 1
Young 1

FAQ

Jakes surname: questions and answers

How common was the Jakes surname in 1881?

In 1881, 563 people were recorded with the Jakes surname. That placed it at #6,155 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Jakes surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 754 in 2016. That gives Jakes a modern rank of #7,258.

What does the Jakes surname mean?

An Anglicized form of the biblical name Jacob or Jacques.

What does the Jakes map show?

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