Lake is an English word name meaning "lake" or "body of still water", from the Latin lacus, and was first used as a surname for someone who lived by one. As a first name it belongs to the nature group around River and Reed that has grown since the 2000s, and the actress Lake Bell shows its unisex side. For boys Lake ranked number 1908 in 2000, peaked at number 1627 in 2024 and ranks number 2068 in 2025.