The Leake surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 6,915 people carried this name — #5,070 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 42,700 people counted. That is up 6% from 6,550 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Leake surname

As an English but ultimately North Germanic surname, from Old Norse lœkr (“stream, brook”). The Norse word is found in many English place names, such as Leck in Lancashire, and the surname could have been from these names.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Leake» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley explains it as ‘of Leek’.

An early record he cites: John de Lek, Lincolnshire, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

His entry covers Leake and Leek.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 474 · public domain.

In Switzerland’s population statistics

26 people named Leake live in Switzerland.

They live in 6 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Zurich.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Zurich 7
Aargau 6
Basel-Stadt 4
Bern 3
Graubünden 3
Schwyz 3

Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Leake was found among the farmers of Yorkshire, North and East Ridings: 13 in every 10,000.

Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent. His list gives one count for the spellings Leak and Leake.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Yorkshire, North and East Ridings 13

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In print

Leake in American newspapers,
1914–1921.

Newspaper page from Rockingham Post-dispatch carrying the name Leake
Rockingham Post-dispatch 1921-06-30
Newspaper page from Rockingham Post-dispatch carrying the name Leake
Rockingham Post-dispatch 1921-06-30
Newspaper page from The Tacoma Times carrying the name Leake
The Tacoma Times 1914-12-09

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain.

In print

Leake in Australian newspapers,
1820s–1990s.

51,628 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Leake. The most, 13,584, date from the 1890s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Western Australia, at 7.9 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Western Australia 30,909
Victoria 6,681
New South Wales 4,679
South Australia 3,844
Tasmania 3,510
Queensland 1,898
ACT (Canberra) 65
Northern Territory 17

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Leake.

Who carried it

People named Leake,
with a public archive behind them.

  • John Leake
    John Leake 1656–1720 · politician
  • Stephen Leake
    Stephen Leake 1702–1773 · numismatist
  • Walter Leake
    Walter Leake 1762–1825 · lawyer
  • Andrew Leake d. 1704 · military officer
  • Arabella Massy Leake d. 1833
  • Ethel Beatrice Leake d. 1931

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Leake,
in the records of 5 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States588 records

588 records of the Leake name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 285
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 104
  • Other U.S. records 199
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record William M. Leake

    Born 1931; from Logan County, West Virginia. U.S. Army, heavy weapons infantryman; killed in action 1950 in North Korea. Buried at Beverly National Cemetery, New Jersey.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record George F. Leake

    Born 1909 in Alabama. Enlisted 1941 at Los Angeles, California; farm hand. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1990, buried at Riverside National Cemetery, California.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Hannah Leake

    Arrived at New York in 1883 aboard the City of Richmond from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 20; servant. From Ireland; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 588 records for Leake in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia536 records

536 records of the Leake name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 302
  • Tasmanian Names Index 87
  • Other Australian records 147
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Sarah Elizabeth Leake

    Died 1881 in Campbell Town, Tasmania, aged 64. Will registered in Tasmania in 1881.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Sarah Elizth Clara Leake

    Born 1869 in Campbell Town, Tasmania. Married 1892 in Campbell Town, Tasmania, aged 22.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Rice Leake

    Arrived in Victoria in 1852 aboard the Gambia, aged 25; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 536 records for Leake in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada31 records

31 records of the Leake name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 27
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 4
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Selina Leake

    Died 1872 in Parrsboro, Cumberland, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record William George Leake

    Died in service in 1918.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Olivia Leake

    Married 1892 in Cumberland, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 31 records for Leake in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

New Zealand8 records

8 records of the Leake name in New Zealand
  • Marlborough District cemetery records 5
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 3
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Catherine Leake

    Died 1922, aged 63; buried at Omaka Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Sophia Leake

    Died 1890, aged 70; buried at Lyttelton Anglican Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Mervyn Seddon Leake

    Died 1976, aged 69; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 8 records for Leake in New Zealand.

Counts: Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

United Kingdom7 records

7 records of the Leake name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 4
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 3
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Ann Leake

    Buried in 1830 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 80.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record J. H. Leake

    Royal Garrison Artillery. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Patience Leake

    Buried in 1813 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 29.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Showing 3 of 7 records for Leake in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Leake.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Leake is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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