Show ContentsTate History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Tate surname is derived from the Old English personal name "Tata," which may have been a shortened version of some other names. [1]

Early Origins of the Tate family

The surname Tate was first found in Suffolk, where a records from the Abbey of Bury St. Edmonds, lists an Uluric Tates in circa 1095. A record from the Rotuli Hundredorum shows Richard Tate in Cambridgeshire in 1279. In Coventry, a John Tate obtained Whiteley, county Nottingham from William Palmer in the year 1392. [2]

Early History of the Tate family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tate research. Another 36 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1488, 1496, 1652, 1687, 1692 and 1715 are included under the topic Early Tate History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tate Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Tate, Tait, Tayte and others.

Early Notables of the Tate family

Distinguished members of the family include

  • John Tate, Lord Mayor of London in 1496
  • his older brother Sir Robert Tate, Lord Mayor of London in 1488

Tate World Ranking

In the United States, the name Tate is the 348th most popular surname with an estimated 77,097 people with that name. [3] However, in New Zealand, the name Tate is ranked the 822nd most popular surname with an estimated 891 people with that name. [4] And in the United Kingdom, the name Tate is the 733rd popular surname with an estimated 9,176 people with that name. [5]


United States Tate migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Tate Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Edward Tate, who settled in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630
  • Thomas Tate, aged 22, who settled in Virginia in 1635 aboard the ship "Globe"
Tate Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Hester Tate, who landed in Virginia in 1705 [6]
  • George Tate, who arrived in New England in 1756 [6]
Tate Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Alexander Tate, aged 22, who arrived in Maryland in 1812 [6]
  • Judge Tate, who landed in Mobile, Ala in 1821 [6]
  • Elizabeth Tate, who arrived in New York in 1842 [6]
  • Frederick Tate, aged 3, who landed in New York, NY in 1847 [6]
  • Thomas Tate, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1848 [6]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Tate migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Tate Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • James Tate, who arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1750
  • Rosa Tate, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1750
Tate Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • James Tate, who landed in Canada in 1816
  • Mr. James Tate who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Julius Caesar" departing 13th July 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 5th September 1847 but he died on board [7]
  • Mrs. Margaret Tate, aged 40 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Larch" departing 11th July 1847 from Sligo, Ireland; the ship arrived on 20th August 1847 but she died on board [7]

Australia Tate migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Tate Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Miss Maria Tate, (b. 1773), aged 30, British Convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for life for coining, transported aboard the "Experiment" on 4th December 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [8]
  • Miss Maria Tate, (b. 1773), aged 31, English convict who was convicted in Midddlesex, England for life, transported aboard the "Exmouth" on 2nd January 1804, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [9]
  • Mr. James Tate, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Bengal Merchant" on 13th March 1828, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) [10]
  • Mr. Thomas Tate, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Atlas" on 27th April 1833, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) [11]
  • John Tate, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Eliza" in 1840 [12]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Tate migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

  • George Tate, aged 28, who arrived in New Plymouth aboard the ship "Phoebe Dunbar" between 1841 and 1850
  • Elizabeth Tate, aged 24, who arrived in New Plymouth aboard the ship "Phoebe Dunbar" between 1841 and 1850
Tate Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. John Tate, (b. 1837), aged 25, Irish farm labourer, from County Down travelling from London aboard the ship "Queen of Mersey" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, Southland, South Island, New Zealand on 20th October 1862 [13]
  • Mary Jane Tate, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Telegraph" in 1863
  • John Tate, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Telegraph" in 1863
  • Miss Mary Ann Tate, (b. 1841), aged 22, English domestic servant from Staffordshire travelling from London aboard the ship "Tiptree" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 20th January 1864 [13]
  • James Tate, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Endymion" in 1873
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

West Indies Tate migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. [14]
Tate Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
  • James and Mary Tate, who settled in Barbados in 1635
  • Mr. James Tate, (b. 1618), aged 17, British settler travelling from London, England aboard the ship "Anne and Elizabeth" arriving in Barbados in 1635 [15]

Contemporary Notables of the name Tate (post 1700) +

  • Lars Jamel Tate (1966-2022), American professional NFL football running back who played for three seasons in the National Football League with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Chicago Bears from 1988 to 1990
  • Greg Tate (1957-2021), American writer, musician, and producer, a long-time critic for The Village Voice
  • Randall Lee "Randy" Tate (1952-2021), American Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the New York Mets in 1975
  • John Torrence Tate Jr. (1925-2019), American mathematician from Minneapolis, Minnesota who was awarded the Abel Prize in 2010
  • Skatemaster Tate (1959-2015), stage name of Gerry Hurtado, an American musician and a former television show host
  • Emory A. Tate Jr. (1958-2015), American International Master of chess
  • James Vincent Tate (1943-2015), American poet awarded the 1992 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry
  • Albert Tate Jr. (1920-1986), American judge with the Louisiana Supreme Court (1958)
  • Sharon Marie Tate (1943-1969), American actress murdered in her home, along with four others, by followers of Charles Manson
  • James Hugh Joseph Tate (1910-1983), American politician, mayor of Philadelphia from 1962 and 1972
  • ... (Another 55 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

HMS Royal Oak
  • William Tate (1916-1939), British Stoker 1st Class with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died due to wounds from the sinking [16]


The Tate Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Thincke and Thancke
Motto Translation: Think and Thank


Suggested Readings for the name Tate +

  • Tate and Allied Families of Robertson County, Tennessee by Evelyn Yates Carpenter.
  • Taylors and Tates of the South by Ann K. Blomquist.
  • Van Buren Tate: Ancestors, Descendants by Rachel Tate Smith.

  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  3. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  4. "Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
  5. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  6. 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)
  7. Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 97)
  8. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 22nd March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel-and-experiment
  9. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th May 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/experiment
  10. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 7th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bengal-merchant
  11. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
  12. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) ELIZA 1840. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1840Eliza.htm
  13. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  15. Pilgrim Ship Lists Early 1600's. Retrieved 23rd September 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
  16. Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html


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