NameCensus.

UK surname

Oake

A locational surname referring to someone who lived near an oak tree or in an oak forest.

In the 1881 census there were 212 people recorded with the Oake surname, ranking it #12,373 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 188, ranked #20,417, down from #12,373 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Greenwich, London parishes and Dullingham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Epping Forest, Havering and Brighton and Hove.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Oake is 266 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 11.3%.

1881 census count

212

Ranked #12,373

Modern count

188

2016, ranked #20,417

Peak year

1911

266 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Oake had 212 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,373 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 188 in 2016, ranked #20,417.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 266 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Oake surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Oake surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Oake 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 144 #13,277
1861 historical 157 #14,732
1881 historical 212 #12,373
1891 historical 258 #12,440
1901 historical 222 #14,169
1911 historical 266 #12,395
1997 modern 189 #18,267
1998 modern 184 #19,037
1999 modern 189 #18,862
2000 modern 179 #19,494
2001 modern 171 #19,770
2002 modern 172 #20,108
2003 modern 167 #20,245
2004 modern 176 #19,731
2005 modern 180 #19,395
2006 modern 181 #19,466
2007 modern 181 #19,680
2008 modern 190 #19,246
2009 modern 194 #19,398
2010 modern 190 #20,087
2011 modern 175 #21,035
2012 modern 172 #21,219
2013 modern 181 #20,879
2014 modern 190 #20,374
2015 modern 193 #20,056
2016 modern 188 #20,417

Geography

Back to top

Where Oakes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Greenwich, London parishes, Dullingham and St Giles Camberwell. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Epping Forest, Havering, Brighton and Hove, Hounslow and Bristol. 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 Greenwich London (South Districts)
2 London parishes London 1
3 Dullingham Cambridgeshire
4 London parishes London 3
5 St Giles Camberwell London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Epping Forest 008 Epping Forest
2 Havering 008 Havering
3 Brighton and Hove 020 Brighton and Hove
4 Hounslow 007 Hounslow
5 Bristol 023 Bristol, City of

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Oake

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Oake

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Oake surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Oake household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Oake 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

Oake is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Oake falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Oake

The surname OAKE is an English name with origins dating back to the Anglo-Saxon era. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "ac," meaning oak, referring to someone who lived near an oak tree or oak forest. The name was initially spelled as "Oke" or "Oak" before evolving into its current form.

OAKE is a locational surname, indicating that it originated from a specific place name. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "de Aca" or "de Acis," referring to individuals residing near an oak tree or oak grove.

During the medieval period, the surname OAKE was particularly prevalent in counties such as Derbyshire, Staffordshire, and Warwickshire, where oak forests were abundant. The earliest known recorded instance of the surname dates back to 1176, when a certain Richard de Oke was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Derbyshire.

Notable individuals with the surname OAKE throughout history include John Oake (c. 1560-1644), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Laverton in Gloucestershire. Another prominent figure was Sir Thomas Oake (1612-1670), a judge and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Derbyshire and later became a Baron of the Exchequer.

In the 17th century, a family with the surname OAKE played a significant role in the Virginia Colony. Samuel Oake (1604-1669) was one of the early settlers in Virginia, arriving in the colony around 1635. His son, John Oake (1635-1689), was a prominent landowner and served as a burgess (representative) in the Virginia House of Burgesses.

Another notable figure was Robert Oake (1738-1820), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and later became a Vice Admiral in the Royal Navy. He is particularly known for his role in the Battle of the Saintes in 1782.

Lastly, William Oake (1835-1901) was a British architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London, including the former National Provincial Bank on Bishopsgate Street and the Church of St. Michael and All Angels in Shoreditch.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Oake families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Oake 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. Surrey leads with 36 Oakes recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.59x.

County Total Index
Surrey 36 3.59x
Middlesex 34 1.65x
Cambridgeshire 22 16.88x
Warwickshire 19 3.66x
Kent 16 2.28x
Devon 15 3.50x
Hampshire 14 3.32x
Norfolk 11 3.48x
Yorkshire 8 0.39x
Cheshire 7 1.54x
Hertfordshire 7 4.93x
Lincolnshire 4 1.22x
Somerset 4 1.21x
Sussex 4 1.15x
Lancashire 3 0.12x
Worcestershire 2 0.74x
Berkshire 1 0.65x
Dorset 1 0.74x
Gloucestershire 1 0.25x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.36x
Suffolk 1 0.40x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Borough Green in Cambridgeshire leads with 16 Oakes recorded in 1881 and an index of 5714.29x.

Place Total Index
Borough Green 16 5714.29x
Greenwich 15 45.79x
Rotherhithe 15 58.99x
Birmingham 13 7.52x
Camberwell 12 9.13x
Frithelstock 9 2250.00x
St George Bloomsbury 9 76.21x
Brancaster 7 1296.30x
Islington London 7 3.51x
Aston 6 4.20x
Dullingham 6 1016.95x
Hampton London 6 177.51x
Kimpton 6 895.52x
Southampton All Sts 6 82.87x
Croydon 5 8.98x
Lymington 5 161.29x
Hastings St Clement 4 122.32x
Holy Trinity 4 8.15x
Laceby 4 555.56x
Lower Bebington 4 148.15x
Paddington London 4 5.29x
St Pancras London 4 2.41x
Barney 3 1363.64x
Honiton 3 126.58x
Tranmere 3 17.96x
Idle 2 21.14x
Newport 2 87.34x
Northfield 2 39.22x
Pitminster 2 206.19x
St Marylebone London 2 1.82x
Bath St Peter St Paul 1 68.49x
Bristol St Stephen 1 95.24x
Cookbury 1 769.23x
Cottered 1 370.37x
Crumpsall 1 17.36x
East Teignmouth 1 57.14x
Eaton Hastings 1 1111.11x
Eccleshill 1 20.16x
Egham 1 16.23x
Eling 1 23.42x
Enfield 1 7.41x
Heigham 1 5.89x
Kingston On Thames 1 4.15x
Lambeth 1 0.56x
Lewisham 1 2.67x
Lyncombe Widcombe 1 11.53x
Newmarket St Mary 1 52.08x
Reddish 1 29.76x
Sharples 1 37.74x
Sheffield 1 1.54x
Stapleford 1 44.44x
Topsham 1 49.51x
Wandsworth 1 5.05x
Willesden 1 5.15x
Winterborne Stickland 1 294.12x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 17
Eliza 6
Elizabeth 6
Jane 6
Ellen 5
Minnie 4
Rose 4
Emma 3
Florence 3
Harriet 3
Kate 3
Agnes 2
Caroline 2
Edith 2
Ethel 2
Frances 2
Hannah 2
Louisa 2
Martha 2
Sarah 2
Susan 2
Ada 1
Alice 1
Amy 1
Annie 1
Constance 1
Emily 1
Esther 1
Francis 1
Gertrude 1
I. 1
Jeannie 1
Jessie 1
L. 1
Lelia 1
Lilian 1
Lilias 1
Mabel 1
Margaret 1
Margret 1
Margrett 1
Maria 1
Phebe 1
Rhoda 1
Susanna 1
Susey 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 11
John 11
Alfred 8
Thomas 8
James 7
Robert 6
Walter 6
Edward 4
Henry 4
Albert 3
Arthur 3
Richard 3
William 3
Charles 2
Geo. 2
Herbert 2
Joseph 2
Stephen 2
Sydney 2
Abraham 1
Chas.Rd. 1
Clement 1
David 1
Edgar 1
Elvidge 1
Frederick 1
Harry 1
Joshua 1
Leonard 1
Mark 1
Royal 1
Samuel 1
Sid. 1
Sidney 1
Thos. 1
Willam 1

FAQ

Oake surname: questions and answers

How common was the Oake surname in 1881?

In 1881, 212 people were recorded with the Oake surname. That placed it at #12,373 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Oake surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 188 in 2016. That gives Oake a modern rank of #20,417.

What does the Oake surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone who lived near an oak tree or in an oak forest.

What does the Oake map show?

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