NameCensus.

UK surname

Rake

A surname possibly derived from a rake maker or rake user.

In the 1881 census there were 244 people recorded with the Rake surname, ranking it #11,258 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 242, ranked #17,177, down from #11,258 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Stower Provost and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North East Derbyshire, Wycombe and Blaenau Gwent.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rake is 273 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 0.8%.

1881 census count

244

Ranked #11,258

Modern count

242

2016, ranked #17,177

Peak year

2014

273 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Rake had 244 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,258 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 242 in 2016, ranked #17,177.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 271 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established Multi-Ethnic Communities.

Rake surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Rake surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Rake 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 231 #9,334
1861 historical 169 #13,823
1881 historical 244 #11,258
1891 historical 253 #12,645
1901 historical 261 #12,775
1911 historical 271 #12,237
1997 modern 264 #14,734
1998 modern 257 #15,401
1999 modern 256 #15,557
2000 modern 257 #15,468
2001 modern 260 #15,113
2002 modern 262 #15,327
2003 modern 251 #15,563
2004 modern 248 #15,779
2005 modern 246 #15,802
2006 modern 249 #15,784
2007 modern 237 #16,571
2008 modern 254 #15,903
2009 modern 265 #15,756
2010 modern 272 #15,811
2011 modern 259 #16,237
2012 modern 267 #15,791
2013 modern 267 #16,053
2014 modern 273 #15,914
2015 modern 250 #16,803
2016 modern 242 #17,177

Geography

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Where Rakes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Stower Provost, London parishes, Sturminster Newton Castle and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North East Derbyshire, Wycombe, Blaenau Gwent, Guildford and Monmouthshire. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Stower Provost Dorset
3 London parishes London 3
4 Sturminster Newton Castle Dorset
5 Lambeth London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North East Derbyshire 012 North East Derbyshire
2 Wycombe 007 Wycombe
3 Blaenau Gwent 006 Blaenau Gwent
4 Guildford 013 Guildford
5 Monmouthshire 010 Monmouthshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Rake

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Rake

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

Established Multi-Ethnic Communities

Nationally, the Rake surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established Multi-Ethnic Communities, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Rake household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Parents and young children in this Group are drawn from diverse ethnic backgrounds in broadly similar proportions. Employment is typically in elementary occupations, though workers in professional, intermediate or skilled trades occupations are also present. The residential landscape is dominated by terraced housing, although semi-detached houses and flats are also present. This Group is found in London and in many provincial towns and cities throughout the U.K.

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Rake is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Rake 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

Rake falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Rake

The surname RAKE is an English occupational name derived from the Old English word 'raca', meaning a rake or a toothed gardening tool used for gathering hay, leaves, or grass. This name likely originated in the medieval period, when surnames based on occupations were becoming more widespread.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname RAKE can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, where a person named William Rake is mentioned. The Hundred Rolls were administrative records compiled during the reign of King Edward I, providing valuable insight into the names and occupations of people living in England at that time.

The RAKE surname appears to have been concentrated in various regions of England, including Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, and Norfolk. In some areas, the name may have also been derived from certain place names containing the word "rake," such as Rakehill in Yorkshire or Rakemere in Cheshire.

In the 16th century, a notable bearer of the RAKE surname was William Rake, a prominent English clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Northampton from 1543 until his death in 1561. Another historically significant figure was Richard Rake, a soldier who fought in the English Civil War during the 17th century.

During the late 17th and early 18th centuries, the RAKE surname can be found in various parish records and legal documents across England. For instance, a marriage record from 1694 in Leicestershire mentions a John Rake, while a will from 1711 in Norfolk references a Thomas Rake.

Other notable individuals with the RAKE surname include Joseph Rake (1693-1770), an English engraver and surveyor, and Thomas Rake (1757-1846), a British army officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars. In the literary realm, the English writer and critic Isaac Reed (1742-1807) was born with the surname Rake, though he later changed it to Reed.

Throughout its history, the RAKE surname has maintained a strong presence in England, particularly in rural areas where agricultural occupations were common. While the surname is not among the most numerous in England, it has endured as a testament to the importance of agricultural tools and practices in the country's cultural heritage.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Rake families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rake 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 42 Rakes recorded in 1881 and an index of 26.67x.

County Total Index
Dorset 42 26.67x
Somerset 30 7.77x
Middlesex 29 1.21x
Hampshire 24 4.88x
Surrey 24 2.05x
Glamorgan 17 4.07x
Gloucestershire 13 2.76x
Durham 9 1.26x
Norfolk 9 2.44x
Yorkshire 9 0.38x
Essex 8 1.69x
Lancashire 7 0.25x
Wiltshire 6 2.83x
Devon 4 0.80x
Perthshire 3 2.79x
Sussex 3 0.74x
Channel Islands 2 2.81x
Cheshire 2 0.38x
Midlothian 1 0.31x
Montgomeryshire 1 1.82x
Northumberland 1 0.28x
Staffordshire 1 0.12x
Suffolk 1 0.34x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Yeovil in Somerset leads with 16 Rakes recorded in 1881 and an index of 203.82x.

Place Total Index
Yeovil 16 203.82x
Provost Stour 14 4375.00x
Fordingbridge 11 411.99x
Stour Provost 10 3571.43x
Southwark St John 9 122.62x
Botley 8 898.88x
Crossgate 8 256.41x
Marnhull 8 695.65x
Sturminster 8 522.88x
St Martin In Fields 7 48.71x
Aberdare 6 20.92x
Martock 6 239.04x
Swansea Town 6 17.51x
Bermondsey 5 7.00x
Colchester St Giles 5 106.84x
Heigham 5 25.25x
Lindley Cum Quarmby 5 83.33x
Merthyr Tydfil 5 12.45x
Alverstoke 4 22.47x
Berkeley Hamfallow 4 470.59x
Camberwell 4 2.61x
Clerkenwell London 4 7.06x
Clutton 4 476.19x
Hackney London 4 2.97x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 4 36.10x
St George Bloomsbury 4 29.05x
Alveston 3 447.76x
Brighton 3 3.68x
Hilperton 3 441.18x
Lambeth 3 1.43x
Little Dunkeld 3 163.93x
Westbury On Trym 3 18.82x
Whitechapel London 3 12.69x
York St Giles In 3 133.93x
Bristol St Augustine 2 26.35x
Islington London 2 0.86x
Littleham 2 54.79x
North Meols 2 7.18x
St Marylebone London 2 1.56x
Tranmere 2 10.27x
Whitchurch 2 476.19x
Barking 1 7.22x
Bishop Auckland 1 10.44x
Burley 1 192.31x
Burton Upon Trent 1 5.28x
Calne 1 22.88x
Caundle Stourton 1 322.58x
Dawlish 1 26.81x
Devizes St Mary 1 46.73x
Dorking 1 12.74x
East Chinnock 1 208.33x
Enfield 1 6.35x
Farleigh Hungerford 1 666.67x
Hampstead London 1 2.68x
Jesmond 1 19.92x
Leighton 1 312.50x
Lidford 1 44.64x
Liverpool 1 0.58x
Lower Booths 1 19.61x
Lowestoft 1 7.24x
Manchester 1 0.78x
Poole St James 1 16.89x
Prestwich 1 14.08x
Sheffield 1 1.32x
South Leith 1 2.76x
Southwark St Olave 1 54.64x
Southwark St Thomas 1 156.25x
St Gilesin Fields 1 71.43x
St Peter Port 1 7.60x
St Sampson 1 31.25x
Trowbridge 1 10.66x
Wardleworth 1 6.15x
West Ham 1 0.96x
Woodford 1 18.66x
Yate 1 97.09x

Top female names

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

Name Count
George 12
Edward 8
Henry 8
William 8
John 6
Thomas 6
Walter 5
Herbert 3
James 3
Joseph 3
Albert 2
Charles 2
Frank 2
Geo. 2
Harry 2
Thos. 2
Wm. 2
Albin 1
Alfred 1
Ambrose 1
Archibald 1
Arthur 1
Asher 1
Aubrey 1
Beavan 1
Benjamin 1
Biggs 1
David 1
Edwd. 1
Edwin 1
Francis 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
Isaac 1
Iswald 1
Jas. 1
Jas.Hy. 1
Pharoah 1
Ralph 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Sidney 1
Stansfield 1
Stephen 1
Tom 1
Wilhelm 1
Wm.H. 1

FAQ

Rake surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rake surname in 1881?

In 1881, 244 people were recorded with the Rake surname. That placed it at #11,258 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rake surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 242 in 2016. That gives Rake a modern rank of #17,177.

What does the Rake surname mean?

A surname possibly derived from a rake maker or rake user.

What does the Rake map show?

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