Wake translates as "royal descendants". This title would be held by pre-7th century chieftains[1].
A secondary meaning seems to be the name of an actual clan: the Wakabe. The following from Michiko Aoki's Records of Wind and Earth serves to clarify:
Page 188n | Page 204n | Page 209n |
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Notes
- ↑ Michiko Aoki, Records of Wind and Earth, page 35
Michiko Aoki's Records of Wind and Earth
- Page 188n: One account says:--"In the beginning, when the Emperor was made Heir to the Throne, he went to the Land of Koshi, and did worship to the Great God of Tsutsuhi in Tsunoga. At this time the Great God and the Heir to the Throne exchanged names. Accordingly the Great God was called the God Isasa-wake and the Heir to the Throne Homuda wake no Mikoto.
- Page 204n: [Referring to Naniha]...This area was known for its excellent blacksmitsh (who were Korean immigrants). The Wakabe were the people of the Wake family...This story suggests that at the time of Kotoku's reign (645-54) the Wakabe people lost their monopoly over the iron industry. Iron ore from that time on had to be turned over to the central government.
- Page 209n: According to the Shinsen shojiroku, the Yamabe's forebear is the same as that of the Wake family