Lake History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 
  Ireland 


The name Lake is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came from when the family lived beside or close to a lake. The surname Lake originally derived from the Old English word lacu which meant lake. Lake is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree.

Early Origins of the Lake family

The surname Lake was first found in Oxfordshire where William atte Lake was first registered in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. The same rolls included William de la Lake, Salop (Shropshire.) 1

"The Lakes of Devonshire may take their name from a hamlet near Okehampton. In the 17th century the name was established in Bideford. There was a John Lake of Bideford in the reign of James I., and Thomas Lake in the time of William III. commanded one of the Bideford ships engaged in the Newfoundland trade. The name is still in the neighbourhood. A certain Roger de la Lake resided in the reign of Edward I. in the ancient Clifton Hundred of Devon." 2

Some of the family were also found in nearby Cornwall. "Trevarrick, the residence of Henry Lakes, Esq. is in the vicinity of St. Austell, on its western side. It is a modern built house, and pleasantly situated. Behind it, on a winding hill, the trees which have been planted by its present possessor, thrive with much luxuriance; and the scenery around, though not extensive, is diversified with pleasing varieties." 3

Early History of the Lake family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lake research. Another 115 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1263, 1561, 1569, 1598, 1609, 1617, 1621, 1624, 1626, 1630, 1633, 1640, 1656, 1660, 1679, 1680, 1682, 1684, 1685 and 1689 are included under the topic Early Lake History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lake Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Lake are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Lake include: Lake, Lacke and others.

Early Notables of the Lake family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Lake World Ranking

In the United States, the name Lake is the 1,050th most popular surname with an estimated 27,357 people with that name. 4 However, in Canada, the name Lake is ranked the 987th most popular surname with an estimated 5,475 people with that name. 5 And in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Lake is the 302nd popular surname with an estimated 150 people with that name. 6 Australia ranks Lake as 797th with 4,921 people. 7 New Zealand ranks Lake as 900th with 815 people. 8 The United Kingdom ranks Lake as 725th with 9,243 people. 9

Migration of the Lake family to Ireland

Some of the Lake family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Lake migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Lake or a variant listed above:

Lake Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Lake Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Lake Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Lake migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Lake Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Lake migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Lake Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Lake migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Lake Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Lake migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 21
Lake Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
Lake Settlers in West Indies in the 19th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Lake (post 1700) +


Suggested Readings for the name Lake +
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