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Boy name · Old English

Drake

Name meaning, origin and popularity

: dragon

Drake is a boy's name that comes from Old English and means "dragon". It is used in English.

Meaning
Dragon
Origin
Old English
Gender
Boy
US rank
#827 in 2025

Meaning and origin of Drake

As a boy's name, Drake comes from Old English and means "dragon". It is used in English.

Drake is also a surname: the 560th most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 59,055 people. See the most common last names.

Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names

Drake on Nomezo lists

What our editors wrote about Drake on 5 lists.

  • “A male duck, an old word for dragon, and a rapper”

    From Nicknames that start with D, cool nicknames that start with D

  • “The proper word for a male duck”

    From Bird names, duck names

  • “Dragon; Old English. Bold and short”

    From Boy middle names, one-syllable boy middle names

  • “Dragon; English, from Old English draca. A surname turned first name”

    From Dragon names, real names and words that mean dragon

  • “Dragon; Old English, from Latin draco”

    From Strong boy names, strong-sounding modern boy names

How popular is Drake?

US rank in 2025
#827
299 babies, 175 per million boys
Best rank
#196 in 2010
1,877 babies that year
Babies since 1918
At least 36,792
Years with under 5 are not listed
1880s1900s1920s1940s1960s1980s2000s2020s
Babies per million US boys, by decade (the 2020s so far, to 2025). Highest in the 2000s, at 678 per million.
Babies named Drake per million US boys, by decade; highest in the 2000s
1880s0 per million
1890s0 per million
1900s0 per million
1910s1 per million
1920s1 per million
1930s1 per million
1940s13 per million
1950s20 per million
1960s30 per million
1970s22 per million
1980s64 per million
1990s382 per million
2000s678 per million
2010s558 per million
2020s249 per million
US rank by year
Year2016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Rank#444#468#440#571#535#568#630#681#659#827

Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.

Names spelled like Drake

One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.

  • DaleValley (Old English, unisex)
  • DracoDragon (Greek, boy)
  • DukeLeader (Latin, boy)

Names with a similar meaning

  • EjderDragon (Persian, boy)
  • LongDragon (depends on characters) (Chinese, boy)
  • MireuDragon, an old native Korean word (Korean, boy)
  • OrmSerpent, dragon (Old Norse, boy)
  • RyomaDragon horse (depends on characters) (Japanese, boy)
  • RyuDragon (Japanese, boy)
  • RyunosukeDragon helper (depends on characters) (Japanese, boy)
  • TatsuyaAccomplished; dragon (depends on characters) (Japanese, boy)

Middle names for Drake

Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.

  • ChristopherBearer of Christ (Greek, boy)
  • FlorianFlourishing, blossoming (Latin, boy)
  • JamesSupplanter, holder of the heel (Hebrew, boy)
  • JeremiahGod will exalt (Hebrew, boy)
  • LincolnLake colony (English, boy)
  • MaximilianThe greatest (Latin, boy)
  • PrestonPriest's town (Old English, boy)
  • WilliamResolute protector (Germanic, boy)

More boy names from Old English

  • EdgarWealthy spear (Old English, boy)
  • AlfredElf counsel (Old English, boy)
  • EduardRich guardian (Old English, boy)
  • StormTempest (Old English, unisex)
  • AlfredoElf counsel (Old English, boy)
  • EduardoRich guardian (Old English, boy)
  • GrahamFrom a surname from the place name Grantham, probably gravelly homestead (Old English, boy)
  • HarperHarp player (Old English, unisex)
  • KnoxRound hill (Old English, boy)
  • LindenLime tree (Old English, unisex)

Drake: common questions

What does the name Drake mean?

Drake comes from Old English and means "dragon".

Is Drake a boy or girl name?

Drake is mainly a boy's name.

Where does the name Drake come from?

Drake comes from Old English and means "dragon". Today it is used in English.

How popular is the name Drake?

Drake ranked #827 in the US in 2025, with 299 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

What names are similar to Drake?

Names spelled like Drake include Dale, Draco and Duke.

What middle names go with Drake?

Middle names that flow well with Drake include Christopher, Florian, James, Jeremiah and Lincoln. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.