Yates History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 
  Ireland 
  Scotland 


Yates is a name that first reached England following the Norman Conquest in 1066. It is a name for a gatekeeper. The name was originally derived from the Old English word geat, meaning gate. It was also sometimes applied to people who lived near a prominent gate. 1

Early Origins of the Yates family

The surname Yates was first found in Gloucestershire where the first entry was an early French form of the name, Hereward de Jette, who was found in the Pipe Rolls of 1198. Years later, Philip del Yate was listed in the Assize Rolls for Cheshire in 1260 and Roger atte Yat was found in the Assize Rolls for Somerset in 1268. Again, in Somerset, John atte Yete was listed in the Subsidy Rolls there in 1327. In Norwich, Robert atte Yates was listed in 1344. 2

Recorded in Somerset, one Edward III (during the first year of King Edward II's reign) we found William atte Yete; Batin atte Yete; and Richard atte Yate. 3

Yate is a parish in the union of Chipping-Sodbury, Upper division of the hundred of Henbury in the West division of Gloucestershire. 4 This ancient Saxon village was known as Geate in 779 and by the Domesday Book of 1086, it was listed as Giete. 5 As one would expect, it literally means "(place at) the gate or gap," having been derived from the Old English word "geat." 6

Old Hutton in Westmorland was another family seat. "Hood-Ridding, an ancient mansion, has belonged for more than two centuries to the family of Yates." 4

Up north in Scotland, "a final s is not uncommon in surnames derived from topographical features, and may be either the plural formation or genitive case ending, but it is not possible to say which from inspection." 7

"Adam del Yate was juror on an inquisition held at Lochmaben in 1347 and John Yet held a land in Arbroath in 1425." 7

"The famous family of Yeats, which had formerly been in Dublin, settled in Co. Sligo at the end of the seventeenth century. There are a number of families of Yates and Yeates elsewhere unconnected with them." 8

The famous Irish poet, William Butler (W.B.) Yeats (1865-1939), was born in the seaside suburb of Sandymount in County Dublin, Ireland. His father, John Butler Yeats (1839-1922), was a descendant of Jervis Yeats, a Williamite soldier, linen merchant, and well-known painter, who passed away in 1712.

Early History of the Yates family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Yates research. Another 186 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1250, 1379, 1479, 1575, 1582, 1607, 1630, 1681, 1722, 1865, 1890 and 1939 are included under the topic Early Yates History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Yates Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Yates, Yate, Yeats and others.

Early Notables of the Yates family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Yates World Ranking

In the United States, the name Yates is the 388th most popular surname with an estimated 72,123 people with that name. 9 However, in Australia, the name Yates is ranked the 374th most popular surname with an estimated 9,842 people with that name. 10 And in New Zealand, the name Yates is the 349th popular surname with an estimated 1,818 people with that name. 11 The United Kingdom ranks Yates as 212nd with 27,042 people. 12

Migration of the Yates family to Ireland

Some of the Yates family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 105 words (8 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Yates migration to the United States +

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Yates name or one of its variants:

Yates Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Yates Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Yates Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
Yates Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Yates migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Yates Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
Yates Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Yates migration to Australia +

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

Yates Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century
Yates Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Yates 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:

Yates Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Yates (post 1700) +
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