Blake: meaning and UK use

What does Blake mean?

Blake comes from an English surname with two proposed Old English sources: one for black and one for pale. These alternatives explain the seemingly opposite meanings.

Language or name family covered

English surname name

Meaning or derivation

From words for black or pale

Our browsing group

unisex; modern

Browsing groups describe our editorial shortlist, not rules about who may use a name. A name can cross languages and genders.

Sources for this entry — reviewed 2026-10-07:

• Behind the Name — Blake

Pronunciation and related forms

BLAYK (English)

English respellings are approximate; IPA is labelled where used. Follow the pronunciation a person or family chooses, and check it with a speaker of the intended language if that connection matters to you.

No variants or nicknames have been verified for this entry. A family nickname does not need to be an established dictionary form.

How popular is Blake?

In 2025, 367 baby boys in England and Wales were registered as Blake, making it the 144th most popular boys’ name. That is down 40 places on 2024, when it ranked 104th. It is used for both sexes: 65 girls were also given the name (596th for girls). It has slipped from 62nd in 2015, 82 places in ten years. Its best year in the ONS series was 2013, at 56th. These figures cover England and Wales, not the whole UK.

2025 rank (boys)

144th

2025 registrations

367

Best rank in this series

56th (2013)

Every year from 1996 to 2025

Blake: rank and number of baby boys by year (ONS)

Year	Rank	Babies
2025	144	367
2024	104	507
2023	104	509
2022	89	619
2021	74	771
2020	102	583
2019	96	646
2018	84	733
2017	84	799
2016	73	893
2015	62	1,024
2014	57	1,106
2013	56	1,083
2012	66	1,046
2011	79	831
2010	105	618
2009	101	623
2008	91	749
2007	104	577
2006	134	399
2005	141	361
2004	146	322
2003	160	261
2002	174	215
2001	187	181
2000	160	229
1999	182	184
1998	196	167
1997	220	147
1996	207	154

The sum of published counts in this 1996–2025 boys series is 16,704. This is a lower bound where years are suppressed, not the number of living people with the name. A best rank is the best position within this series; it does not establish an all-time record.

Sources: ONS release, 2025; girls' dataset; boys' dataset. Our 20 top-ten positions were checked against Table 1 in the 2025 workbooks. The history chart and spelling comparisons come from the separate ONS 1996–2025 workbook, checked 7 October 2026. Spelling variants are separate entries. Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate statistics.

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Names to compare with Blake

These suggestions share a browsing group and one or more of our style tags or source-context labels. They are taste comparisons, not etymological relatives or a popularity ranking.

• Edenmodern · Possibly delight or a plain
• Frankiemodern · A short form of Frank or Frances
• Marlowemodern · Remnants of a lake
• Quinnmodern · From the surname Ó Cuinn
• Remymodern · An English form of Rémy
• Renmodern · Lotus or love with particular characters

Read the UK naming guide for the difference between inspiration lists and official statistics, or return to the full name finder.

Registering or changing the name

Once you decide on Blake, confirm the registration process for your UK nation with the register office. If you later want to change a registered name, the route depends on the circumstances and may require consent from people with parental responsibility.

Start with GOV.UK birth registration or GOV.UK guidance on changing a child’s name. Our registration guide and child name-change guide explain where to find the relevant official process.