How to say it
BLAKE
/bleɪk/
Unisex
Blake
Black, or pale
What it means
An English surname that oddly means both 'black, dark' and 'pale, white,' from two near-identical Old English words.
Blake is a quirk of a name: it comes from two Old English words that look almost alike, blæc 'black' and blāc 'pale,' so over time it ended up meaning both dark and fair. It began as a nickname surname for someone's coloring and now reads sleek and modern up front. It is solidly unisex, carried by poet William Blake, actress Blake Lively, and singer Blake Shelton. One crisp syllable.
Popularity over time
Feminine: peaked at #199 in 2021, currently #295 in 2025.
Masculine: peaked at #71 in 2012, currently #316 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Worth knowing
Genuinely unisex.
- Spelling
The surname descends from two look-alike Old English words meaning 'black' and 'pale.'
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- William Blake English Romantic poet and artist
- Blake Lively American actress
Spelling variants
- Blakely
- Blaike
Names with the same feeling
See Blake from another angle
By style