Show ContentsAke History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Viking settlers of ancient Scotland were the first to use the name Ake. It was a nickname for a hooked or crooked person. This nickname was originally derived from the Old Norse word haki which meant "hook" or "something crooked." [1]

Alternatively, the name could have been a patronymic for " the name of an ancestor as in 'the son of Hake.' " [2]

And another source believes the name has the same origin as "Haig and Haigh; from Haigh co. Lancaster or from Anglo-Saxon 'hagen,' a hay, hedge, meadow. " [3]

Early Origins of the Ake family

The surname Ake was first found in the county of Norfolk where Turkil Hako was listed there in Domesday Book [4]. Later the Assize Rolls of Lincolnshire listed Leuiua filia Hacke as holding lands there in 1218 - a very rare entry for a female or "daughter" to hold lands at that time. Later again, Gilbert Hale was listed in the Feet of Fines of Staffordshire in 1257. [5]

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had the following entries as both a forename and surname: Hacca filius Pictavini; Peter filius Hake, Lincolnshire; Haco le Muner, Suffolk; and Hako Strek, Suffolk. [2]

Early History of the Ake family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ake research. Another 93 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1218, 1273, 1375, 1567, 1576, 1578, 1579 and 1586 are included under the topic Early Ake History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ake Spelling Variations

Sound and intuition were the main things that scribes in the Middle Ages relied on when spelling and translating names. Since those factors varied, so did the spelling of the names. Spelling variations of the name Ake include Hake, Hakes, Hakke, Hacke and others.

Early Notables of the Ake family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was

  • Edward Hake, (fl. 1579), an English satirist who was patronized by the Earl of Leicester, known for his Newes out of Paules Churchyarde, A Trappe for Syr Monye, whi was first published in 1567. No cop...
  • but the work was reprinted in 1579. "From the dedication to the Earl of Leicester we learn that at this date Hake was under-steward of New Windsor. On 16 Sept. 1576 he was acting as recorder at that t...
  • on 10 Aug. 1586, the Queen being at Windsor was received in state by the corporation, ‘when she was addressed by Edward Hake, Mayor, in behalf of the said town
  • ’ and on 7 Sept. 1586, the Queen's birthday, Hake delivered an oration in her honour at the Guildhall." [6]

Ake Ranking

In the United States, the name Ake is the 8,086th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [7]

Migration of the Ake family

In North America, the monarchy was thousands of miles away and Scots were free to settle on their own land and practice their own beliefs. The American War of Independence provided an opportunity for these settlers to pay back the English monarchy and forge a new nation. Recently, this heritage has survived through North American highland games and Clan societies. Early North American immigration and passenger lists have revealed a number of people bearing the name Ake or a variant listed above: Thomas Hakes who died at Jamestown, Virginia in 1623; John Maximilian Hake who sailed to Philadelphia, Pa. in 1774 and Nicolaus Hake who settled in Philadelphia, Pa. in 1798..


Contemporary Notables of the name Ake (post 1700) +

  • Russell Everett Ake (1908-1962), American politician, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, 1959-61 [8]
  • Peter Ake, American politician, Member of Missouri State Senate 24th District, 1875-78 [8]
  • Maggie D. Ake, American Democratic Party politician, Postmaster at Portage, Pennsylvania, 1896-1900 [8]
  • Joseph Henry Ake (1877-1947), American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1928; Candidate for Presidential Elector for Pennsylvania, 1928 [8]
  • Howard Ross Ake (1878-1954), American politician, Member of Ohio State Senate, 1921; Ohio Treasurer of State, 1929-30 [8]
  • Harvey Francis Ake (1872-1955), American Republican politician, Common Pleas Court Judge in Ohio, 1913-21; Delegate to Republican National Convention from Ohio, 1924 [8]
  • Ake Borg (1901-1973), Swedish swimmer, he won a bronze medal at the 1924 Olympics and two European championship medals


  1. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  2. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  3. Charnock, Richard, Stephen, Ludus Patronymicus of The Etymology of Curious Surnames. London: Trubner & Co., 60 Paternoster Row, 1868. Print.
  4. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  5. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  6. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  7. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  8. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 2) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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