Drake Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Drake last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Drake last name
Meaning of the Drake last name: dragon, or male duck. Drake comes from the Old English draca, "dragon", a nickname for a fierce person or a name taken from a dragon sign, or from the medieval word for a male duck. The name is common in Devon, East Anglia and Yorkshire. A curious detail: Sir Francis Drake, born near Tavistock in Devon, became the first Englishman to sail all the way around the world.
Arms associated with the Drake name
A curious English detail: younger sons added small marks to their father's arms, so brothers named Drake could each carry a slightly different shield.
Get your full Drake family history
This is only a glimpse of the Drake story. The full Drake history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Drake coat of arms. Get the full Drake report.
Drake name FAQ
What does the Drake name mean?
Dragon, or male duck. Common variants include Drakes, Drakeford, Dragon.
Where does the Drake surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Australia and Canada.
Is there a Drake coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Drake coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford); US Census Bureau 2010.