Show ContentsBate History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

It was among those Anglo-Saxon tribes that once ruled over Britain that the name Bate was formed. The name was derived from the given name Bartholomew, of which it is a diminutive form. [1] [2] [3]

Early Origins of the Bate family

The surname Bate was first found in Yorkshire, where they held a family seat from ancient times, long before the Norman Conquest in 1066. One of the first notables of the family was Henry Bate or Hendrik Baten (of Mechelen or of Malines) (1246- c.1310) a Flemish philosopher, theologian, astronomer, astrologer, poet, and musician.

The more common plural version of today, "Bates" is rather recent. Frequently used in the singular form as both a forename and surname, the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included the following, all in Lincolnshire: Bate de Butwick; Bate le Tackman; and Bathe filius Robert. Further to the north in Yorkshire, the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed: Alicia Bate; and Adam Bate. [4]

Again in Yorkshire, we found two entries for the name Bate (no first name), one in 1275 and the other in 1286. [5]

Other early rolls note Rogerus filius Bate in the Subsidy Rolls for Derbyshire in 1327; Roger Bate in the Subsidy Rolls for Worcestershire in 1275; and Richard Bates in Yorkshire in 1297. Thomas del Bate was found in Northumberland in 1270 and William of Ye Bate in the Subsidy Rolls for Yorkshire in 1297. For these last two entires, the name may be derived from the Northern Middle English word "bat," meaning "boat," used for a boatman. [5]

"This surname has two principal centres, one in the counties of Leicester, Rutland, and Warwick, and the other in Kent. Prom these centres it has extended to the adjoining counties; but it is essentially a midland and eastern county name. In other parts of England its place is supplied by other forms of the name, or by other derivatives of Bartholomew. Thus, in Cornwall we find Bate, in Dorset and adjacent counties we have numbers of Bartletts, in Yorkshire Batty, in Northumberland Batey, in Oxon Batts, in Notts Bartle, etc. The original name of Bartholomew is now mostly found in the counties of Kent and Lincoln; but in its numerous derivative forms it is scattered over the land." [6]

Early History of the Bate family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bate research. Another 119 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1415, 1429, 1580, 1599, 1608, 1620, 1625, 1626, 1668, 1682, 1699, 1700, 1877 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Bate History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bate Spelling Variations

Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Bate include Bates, Batts, Bats, Bate, Bateson, Baits, Baites, Baytes and many more.

Early Notables of the Bate family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

  • John Bate (died 1429), an English or Welsh theologian and philosopher. He is thought to have been born west of the River Severn, but was probably brought up in the Carmelite monastery at York. He was...
  • William Bates (1625-1699) was an English Presbyterian minister from London, Royal Chaplain to Charles II; and George Bate (1608-1668), was an English court physician. Born at Maids Morton, Buckinghams...
  • Thomas Bateson (1580?-1620?), was an early English musical composer, one of the greatest of the Elizabethan madrigal composers. "The first fact that can be ascertained with certainty concerning him is...

Bate Ranking

In the United States, the name Bate is the 13,854th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [7]

Ireland Migration of the Bate family to Ireland

Some of the Bate family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 111 words (8 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Bate migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Bate were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records:

Bate Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • John Bate, British servant who arrived in Virginia in 1621 aboard the ship "Addam" [8]
  • John Bate, who arrived in Virginia in 1623 [8]
  • John Bate, who landed in Virginia in 1624 [8]
  • Clement Bate, who settled in Hingham, Massachusetts in 1630
  • Mrs. Alice Bate, aged 52, who arrived in New England aboard the ship "Elizabeth" in 1635 [8]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Bate Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Michael Bate, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1746 [8]
  • Johannes Arnt Bate, aged 28, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1753 [8]
  • James Bate, who arrived in Maryland in 1760 [8]
  • Johannes Bate, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1773 [8]
  • Conrad Bate, who arrived in Charles Town, South Carolina in 1782 [8]
Bate Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • William Bate, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1863 [8]
Bate Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Mr. William John Bate, (b. 1885), aged 20, Cornish miner travelling aboard the ship "Saint Paul" arriving at Ellis Island, New York in 1905 en route to Butte, Montana, USA [9]

Canada Bate migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Bate Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Australia Bate migration to Australia +

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

Bate Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Noah Bate, British Convict who was convicted in Stafford, Staffordshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 4th December 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [11]
  • Mr. William Bate, (b. 1809), aged 21, English convict who was convicted in Somerset, England for life for burglary, transported aboard the "Burrell" on 22nd July 1830, arriving in New South Wales [12]
  • Mr. Thomas Bate, English convict who was convicted in Warwick, Warwickshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Exmouth" on 3rd March 1831, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [13]
  • Mr. James Bate, British Convict who was convicted in Glamorgan, Wales for 7 years, transported aboard the "Asia" on 5th November 1835, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land)1836 [14]
  • Mr. Walter Bate, (b. 1809), aged 27, Cornish settler convicted in Cornwall, UK on 5th January 1836, sentenced for life for stealing sheep from John Buscombe, transported aboard the ship "Moffatt" on 5th May 1836 to New South Wales, Australia [15]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Bate 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:

Bate Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Bate, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Fairy Queen" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 9th July 1850 [16]
  • Daniel Bate, aged 23, a miller, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Oxford" in 1874
  • Betsy Bate, aged 23, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Oxford" in 1874
  • Mr. Jonathan Bate, (b. 1854), aged 24, Cornish farm labourer departing on 15th October 1878 aboard the ship "Maraval" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 17th January 1879 [17]
  • Jonathan Bate, aged 24, a farm labourer, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Maraval" in 1879
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

West Indies Bate 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. [18]
Bate Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
  • Lettecia and William Bate, who settled in Barbados in 1680 with servants

Contemporary Notables of the name Bate (post 1700) +

  • Walter Jackson Bate (1918-1999), American Pulitzer Prize literary critic and biographer
  • Humphrey Bate (1875-1936), American harmonica player and string band leader
  • William Bate (1826-1905), American Confederate Major General, 23rd Governor of Tennessee (1883-1887), United States Senator from Tennessee (1887-1905)
  • Jennifer Lucy Bate OBE (1944-2020), English internationally acclaimed concert organist
  • Julius Bate (1711-1771), English divine, one of the ten children of the Rev. Richard Bate, by his wife, Elizabeth Stanhope
  • James Bate (1703-1775), English scholar, elder brother of Julius Bate, son of the Rev. Richard Bate, vicar of Chilham and rector of Wareham
  • Charles Bate (1789-1872), Cornish father of Charles Spence Bate
  • Charles Spence Bate FRS (1819-1889), Cornish zoologist and dentist
  • Anthony Bate (1927-2012), English actor
  • Mr. Robert Bate, British sheriff, held the joint position of Sheriff of Nottingham, England from 1664 to 1665
  • ... (Another 9 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


The Bate 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: Et manu et corde
Motto Translation: Both with hand and heart.


  1. Dixon, Bernard Homer, Surnames. London: John Wilson and son, 1857. Print
  2. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  3. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  4. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  5. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  6. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  7. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  8. 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)
  9. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retreived 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
  10. Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
  11. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 22nd March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel-and-experiment
  12. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/burrell
  13. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th May 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/exmouth
  14. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th January 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1835
  15. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 30th May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_convicts.pdf
  16. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  17. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to Auckland 1872-80 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/new_zealand_assisted.pdf
  18. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies


Houseofnames.com on Facebook