How Many People Are Named Lake?
An estimated 3,242 people in the United States have the first name Lake. It is used for both genders, with 76.5% male. The average bearer is 19 years old, and Lake peaked in popularity in 2022 with 154 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Lake as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. You can also check how many people share the full name Lake paired with any surname.
Estimated Living Americans
3,242
About 1 in 105,723 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Rare
Predicted Gender
Male
76.5% confidence
Average Age
19
years old
Peak Year
2022
154 births
Total Registered
3,808
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Lake
Lake is a genuinely unisex name, used for both males (76.5%) and females (23.5%). Out of 3,808 total births registered, 2,913 were male and 895 were female.
Lake as a male name
Ranked #1,632 in 2024
104 male births in 2024
Peak: 2024 (104 births)
Lake as a female name
Ranked #4,072 in 2024
36 female births in 2024
Peak: 2020 (59 births)
Lake in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 2,760 people with the first name Lake, which placed it at #5,964 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.
Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.
Gender in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, Lake was recorded as predominantly male. Out of 2,760 people with this name in that snapshot, 76.3% were male and 23.7% were female. That is very close to the long-run birth pattern in SSA records, where the name is male 76.5% of the time.
Census Count
2,760
people with this name
Census Rank
#5,964
among Census first names
Frequency Rate
0.91
per 100,000 people
Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, the first name Lake was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (77.06%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (8.08%) and Two or More Races (6.31%).
These percentages describe the people who had the first name Lake in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
2020 Census demographic breakdown
Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Lake.
| Group | Share | Count |
|---|---|---|
| White | 77.06% | 2,126 |
| Black | 8.08% | 223 |
| Two or More Races | 6.31% | 174 |
| Hispanic | 4.60% | 127 |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 3.01% | 83 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.94% | 26 |
The Census published separate sex and race/origin tables for first names, so their total counts can differ slightly for the same name. That is why the race section focuses on the demographic mix rather than repeating a second headline count.
Lake: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Lake span from the 1890s to the 2020s, covering 14 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 2010s, when 998 babies were registered. While Lake is less common than at its peak in the 2010s, it remains a well-established name with steady registrations.
Lake by Decade
How has Lake tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
Lake by State
Birth registrations for Lake span all 22 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in California, Texas, Missouri. The lowest are in Wisconsin, Louisiana, Colorado. On average, about 37 Lakes were registered per state.
Lake + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Lake as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Lake
Other first names starting with L with a similar number of bearers.
Lake: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lake?
We estimate approximately 3,242 people named Lake are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 105,723 Americans share this first name.
Is Lake a common name?
Lake is classified as "Rare" and is more popular than 95.4% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 3,808 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Lake most popular?
Lake reached peak popularity in 2022, when 154 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Lake is approximately 19 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
How common was Lake in the 2020 Census?
The 2020 Census recorded 2,760 people with the first name Lake. That placed it at #5,964 in the published Census first-name tables, or 0.91 people per 100,000.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often Lake was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Lake?
In the 2020 Census snapshot, Lake was recorded as predominantly male. The published split was 76.3% male and 23.7% female.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Lake?
In the 2020 Census, the first name Lake was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (77.06%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (8.08%) and Two or More Races (6.31%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.
Is Lake a male name?
Lake is predominantly male. 76.5% of people with this name are male. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
Why can Lake have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. Lake peaked in 2022, and the average living bearer is about 19 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.
How many Lake Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Lake Smith, Lake Johnson, Lake Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
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