Watchful or alert; also refers to a trail of water
As a surname-turned-given-name, Wake derives from the Middle English 'wakien', meaning to be awake or watchful. It also carries a modern, nature-inspired connection to the track left by a ship in the water. Historically, it was associated with the Hereward the Wake, an Anglo-Saxon nobleman who led resistance against the Norman Conquest.
Less common today
Wake isn't in the latest US Top 1000. It last peaked at #4,722 in 2023.
US births per 5-year period, 1990–present (SSA data).
11th-century Anglo-Saxon nobleman and resistance leader
A character in the film 'The Thing' · The Thing
