Blake
Say it: BLAKE/bleɪk/
BoyMeans either "dark" or "pale"; the source is uncertain5 letters1 syllable
#156
in Ireland (2025)
#151 with spellings combined
33
babies in 2025
#96
best rank (2022)
1,052
babies since 1983
Down 34
10-year rank change
Blake through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (boys) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 33 | #151 |
| 2024 | 47 | #121 |
| 2023 | 50 | #116 |
| 2022 | 68 | #96 |
| 2021 | 55 | #118 |
| 2020 | 46 | #133 |
| 2019 | 45 | #132 |
| 2018 | 62 | #107 |
| 2017 | 56 | #116 |
| 2016 | 65 | #105 |
| 2015 | 59 | #117 |
| 2014 | 64 | #114 |
| 2013 | 49 | #127 |
| 2012 | 50 | #144 |
| 2011 | 51 | #137 |
| 2010 | 26 | #216 |
| 2009 | 21 | #247 |
| 2008 | 34 | #182 |
| 2007 | 28 | #180 |
| 2006 | 11 | #282 |
| 2005 | 13 | #239 |
| 2004 | 14 | #214 |
| 2003 | 11 | #245 |
| 2002 | 9 | #249 |
| 2001 | 8 | #251 |
| 2000 | 8 | #236 |
| 1999 | 8 | #222 |
| 1998 | 6 | #242 |
| 1997 | 8 | #251 |
| 1996 | 6 | #276 |
| 1995 | 8 | #234 |
| 1994 | 9 | #208 |
| 1993 | 7 | #235 |
| 1992 | 5 | #267 |
| 1990 | 3 | #323 |
| 1984 | 4 | #274 |
| 1983 | 5 | #258 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.
★ What does Blake mean?
Either "dark" or "pale"; the source is uncertain
English surname, from an Old English word for black or one for pale; also used for the Irish Ó Bláthmaic.
Say it right
BLAKE
The story of Blake
Blake began as an English surname, and nobody is quite sure what it first meant. It may come from an Old English word for black, given to someone with dark hair or skin, or from a similar word meaning pale or shining, for someone fair. The two meanings are close to opposites. In Ireland the surname was also used as an English form of the Irish Ó Bláthmaic.
The Blakes of Galway were one of the fourteen merchant families known as the Tribes of Galway.
As a first name Blake is used mostly for boys. It first reached the Irish list in 1983 and had its best year in 2022, with 68 boys and number 96. A small number of girls are given it too, and their best year was 2023, with 12. In Northern Ireland the name was most popular in 2013, when it reached 62nd for boys.
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Sources
- Wiktionary: Blake (English proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Blake (given name)
- CSO VSA50, Boys Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
- CSO VSA60, Girls Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Blake | 33 | 1,052 |
In Northern Ireland
#107 in 2025 with 22 babies. Best rank #62 (2013); 671 babies since 1997.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.
Blake is also given to girls: 65 since 2012, 4 in 2025.