Lake
Unisex nameEnglish
✨ Meaning
Lake comes through Old French from the Latin 'lacus,' a basin or standing body of water. It is the stillest of the water names: a river runs and an ocean heaves, but a lake holds. English also had a native word 'lacu' for a small stream, and the two ran together, which is why some English place names containing lake refer to running water rather than still.
🌍 Origin
Lake began as an English surname for people who lived beside water and entered occasional use as a given name in the modern period. It belongs to the same family of one-syllable geographic names as Brook, Reed and Stone, and remains rare, used for both boys and girls with no strong lean either way.
⭐ Famous People Named Lake
- Lake Bell
- Lake Speed
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What does the name Lake mean?
Lake names a standing body of water, from the Latin 'lacus' by way of Old French.
Is Lake a boy's or a girl's name?
It is used for both and carries no gender, though it remains rare in either case.
What names are similar to Lake?
Brook, River, Ocean and Rio share the water theme, and Stone and Reed share the one-syllable landscape pattern.