What Does the Name Lake Mean?

Lake is a unisex name of English (Old English) origin meaning “body of water; stream.”

Updated June 2026

Name	Lake
Gender	unisex
Origin	English (Old English)
Meaning	body of water; stream
Variants	Laken, Layke, Lakelyn
Popularity	A rare modern nature name in the United States, used for both sexes with no strong gender lean.

The meaning and origin of Lake

The name Lake means “body of water; stream” and has English (Old English) origins. A nature and topographic name from the English word 'lake' (via Old English 'lacu,' meaning stream or watercourse), used for someone who lived near water. It is a modern adoption as a given name.

Variants and related names

Lake is related to several other names you may recognize: Laken, Layke, Lakelyn. These share a common root or are spelling and language variants of the same name.

How popular is the name Lake?

A rare modern nature name in the United States, used for both sexes with no strong gender lean.

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