Name
Blake
Meaning
Blake is a unisex name of English origin meaning “black, or pale”.
Blake descends from two opposite Old English words, blaec, black, and blac, pale, so medieval bearers could be named for either dark or fair coloring. Poet William Blake supplies gravitas, and actress Blake Lively pushed the once-masculine surname firmly into unisex territory.
A US top-100 boys' name for decades, with substantial use for girls since the 2010s.
Popularity in the United States
Girls
Ranked #295 in 2025 · peak #199 in 2021
Boys
Ranked #316 in 2025 · peak #71 in 2012
Data: US Social Security Administration, top-1000 ranks.
At a glance
- Origin
- English
- Gender
- Unisex
- Pronounced
- /BLAYK/
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Questions
Blake is a unisex name of English origin meaning “black, or pale”. Blake descends from two opposite Old English words, blaec, black, and blac, pale, so medieval bearers could be named for either dark or fair coloring.
Blake is a unisex name, used for both boys and girls. It is a US top-100 boys' name for decades, with substantial use for girls since the 2010s.
The name Blake comes from English. Blake descends from two opposite Old English words, blaec, black, and blac, pale, so medieval bearers could be named for either dark or fair coloring. Poet William Blake supplies gravitas, and actress Blake Lively pushed the once-masculine surname firmly into unisex territory.
Blake is pronounced BLAYK.
More names that mean dark
Names that share this meaning.