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Drake Family History

Drake Name Meaning

English: nickname from Middle English drake either ‘drake male duck’ (compare Duck ) or ‘dragon’ (Old English draca ‘snake dragon’ or the cognate Old Norse draki) including an emblematic dragon on a flag (compare Dragon ). Both the Old English and the Old Norse forms are from Latin draco ‘snake monster’; its sense as a nickname is unclear but it may have had the sense ‘standard bearer’. The name was taken to Ireland in the 13th century and reinforced by later English settlers in the 17th century. German: from Low German drake ‘dragon’ familiar as image on signboards hence a topographic or habitational name referring to a house or inn with such signboard. Dutch: variant mostly Americanized and Flemish of Draak a cognate of 2 above from draak (Middle Dutch drake) ‘dragon’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: Brake, Rake, Duke, Drach, Drane, Lake, Drage, Grace, Drakes, Dade

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Where is the Drake family from?

You can see how Drake families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Drake family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Drake families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 2,359 Drake families living in Yorkshire. This was about 27% of all the recorded Drake's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Drake families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Drake surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Drake ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Drake. 6% of Drake men worked as a General Labourer and 66% of Drake women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Drake were Gardener and Private Means. .

View Census Data for Drake | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    6%
  • Incapacitated
    4%
  • Farmer
    3%
  • Gardener
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    66%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Private Means
    2%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Drake family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 504,000 census records available for the last name Drake. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Drake census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Drake

Passenger Lists

There are 39,000 immigration records available for the last name Drake. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Drake immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 84,000 military records available for the last name Drake. For the veterans among your Drake ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Drake lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Drake life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Drake in 1942 was 41, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Drake

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