Plate History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany

The roots of the distinguished surname Plate lie in Germany, and chronicles claim two different origins for this name. Some sources suggest the origin is found in the mediaeval German word for the maker of breast plates for armor. Other sources claim the name stems from the German word for "plateau."

Early Origins of the Plate family

The surname Plate was first found in Brandenburg, where the name was an integral part of a feudal society which would shape modern European history. Many prominent branches of the family would strive to make this name renowned as they contributed to the social, economic and political affairs of the region. One of the earliest known bearers of this name was the knight Otto cum Plata ("breast plate",) who lived at Ruegen around 1255.

Platten is an Ortsgemeinde (municipality) in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany that dates back to at least 1084 when it was first listed as "villa Platana."

Early History of the Plate family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Plate research. Another 277 words (20 lines of text) covering the years 1190, 1536, 1563, 1565, 1574, 1604, 1614, 1628, 1669, 1796 and 1835 are included under the topic Early Plate History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Plate Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Plath, Plathe, Plather, Plate, Plat, Plater, Platt, Platter, Platten, Platen, Platener, Platner, Plattener, Pletener, Plettener, Plaettner, Plaetner, Plaeth, Plathner, Plett, Pletter, Pletten, Pleten, Pleter, Plettner, Blate, Blatte, Blatten, Blath and many more.

Early Notables of the Plate family

Notable figures of the time with the name Plate were

Count August von Platen (1796-1835) was a well-known German poet...

Plate migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Plate Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Bernhard Plate, who landed in America in 1783 1

Plate Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Franz Alexander Plate, who landed in New York in 1835 1
Heinr Adolph Plate, who landed in America in 1836 1
Adolph Jos Plate, who landed in America in 1844 1
Bern Heinr Plate, who arrived in America in 1846 1
William Plate, who arrived in St Clair County, Illinois in 1860 1
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Plate migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Plate Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Bernhard Plate, who settled in Canada in 1783 with the United Empire Loyalists
Mr. Christian Plate U.E. who settled in Home District [York County], Ontario c. 1786 he served in Butler's Rangers 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Plate (post 1700) +

Jeff Plate (b. 1962), American professional drummer and percussionist
Henry Plate, American politician, Prohibition Candidate for New York State Assembly from New York County 12th District, 1919 3
H. A. Plate, American politician, Member of South Dakota State House of Representatives 37th District, 1929-32 3
Sebastian Plate (b. 1979), German footballer
Christina Plate (b. 1965), German Bambi Award winning actress
Enrico Platé (1909-1954), Italian motor racing driver and team manager

Citations +

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)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 13) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html