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Cates History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Cates History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Netherlands
England

The name Cates first arose amongst the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is derived from their having lived in Catesby, in Northants, now Northamptonshire. 1

"The family had been for some time settled in Northamptonshire, and held also the manor of Lapworth in Warwickshire. " 2

The "Testa de Nevill, sive Liber Feodorum, temp. Henry III-Edward I." had two early listing for the family: Robert de Catesby, Northamptonshire, Henry III-Edward I; and William de Cattesby, Northamptonshire. 3

Early Origins of the Cates family

The surname Cates was first found in Northampton at Asbhy St. Ledger's, a parish, in the union of Daventry, hundred of Fawsley. "The church [of Asbhy St. Ledger's] is in the later English style; it contains a richly ornamented screen and rood-loft, and in the windows are some remains of ancient painted glass. Sir William Catesby, favourite of Richard III., and owner of the manor, was buried within the altar-rails, under a marble slab with a rich brass in fine preservation; and Robert Catesby, the conspirator, of the time of James I., resided here, where he had property." 4

"William Catesby (d. 1485), councillor of Richard III, of whom, and others, the couplet was written: 'The Cat, the Rat, and Lovel our dog Rule all England under a hog,' was son of Sir William Catesby, of Ashby St. Legers, Northamptonshire." 3

Early History of the Cates family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cates research. Another 74 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1371, 1449, 1450, 1453, 1459, 1478, 1484, 1485, 1573, 1605, 1679, 1710, 1719 and 1749 are included under the topic Early Cates History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cates Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Cates has appeared include Catesby, Catesbury, Cates and others.

Early Notables of the Cates family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

William Catesby, High Sheriff of Warwickshire in 1371; Sir William Catesby (1450-1485), English landowner and Member of Parliament for Northamptonshire in 1484, one of Richard III of England's princip...
Robert Catesby (1573-1605), was the leader of a group of Catholic conspirators (including Guy Fawkes) who planned an unsuccessful attempt to blow up the House of Parliament of England in 1605. He made...
Mark Catesby (1679?-1749), English naturalist, was born, probably in London, about 1679. "After studying natural science in London, he raised the means for starting on a voyage to the New World in 171...

Cates Ranking

In the United States, the name Cates is the 1,439^th most popular surname with an estimated 22,383 people with that name. 5

Cates migration to the United States +

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Cates arrived in North America very early:

Cates Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Luke Cates, who arrived in Virginia in 1717 6
Joseph Cates, who arrived in New England in 1745 6

Cates Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

F. O. Cates, who arrived in Boston in 1849
Mrs. F Cates, aged 34, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1849 6

Cates migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Cates Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Elizabeth Cates, who settled in Quebec in 1870
A. Cates, who settled in Canada in 1886

Contemporary Notables of the name Cates (post 1700) +

Richard Lyman Cates (1925-2011), American Democratic politician and lawyer from Wisconsin
Phoebe Cates (b. 1963), Filipino-American film actress and model, best known for her teen roles in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" and "Gremlins"
David Allan Cates (b. 1956), American novelist
Gilbert "Gil" Cates (1934-2011), American Primetime Emmy Award winning film director, producer of the Academy Awards (1990 to 2008)
Louis S. Cates, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Utah, 1928 7
James W. Cates, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Maine State House of Representatives from Washington County, 1919-20 7
J. Elmer Cates, American politician, Representative from New York at-large, 1932 7
H. C. Cates, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Texas State House of Representatives 24th District, 2012 7
Esther L. Cates, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from California, 1932 7
Craig Cates, American politician, Mayor of Key West, Florida, 2009- 7
... (Another 7 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 20) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html