| ![Show Contents]() Slate History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The name Slate finds its origins with the ancient Anglo-Saxons of England. It was given to one who worked as a person who covered roofs with slate. Slate is an occupational surname, which belongs to the category of hereditary surnames. Occupational surnames were derived from the primary activity of the bearer. In the Middle Ages, people did not generally live off of the fruits of their labor in a particular job. Rather, they performed a specialized task, as well as farming, for subsistence. Other occupational names were derived from an object associated with a particular activity. This type of surname is called a metonymic surname. This surname comes from the Old English word esclate, which means splinter or slat. Early Origins of the Slate familyThe surname Slate was first found in Derbyshire where the earliest records of the family were found at Barlborough near Chesterfield in Derbyshire. As an occupational name, the family name was a trade name of a roofer and was originally spelled Sclater. This spelling is still used as far north into Scotland, specifically the Shetlands and the Orkney Islands, where their territories were in Burnes. "Robert Sklatare sold his tenement in Glasgow in 1430, John Sclater was a burgess of Arnbroath in 1458, and another John Sclatar witnessed a Forfarshire obligation in 1497." 1 Early census records in Britain revealed Thomas le Sclatatere in Worcestershire in 1255 and Saundr le Sclattur in 1278 in Oxfordshire. 2 The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list: Adam le Scatterre and Richard le Sclattere in Oxfordshire and Walter Sclatter in Buckinghamshire. 3 "The living [of Tetsworth, Oxfordshire] is a vicarage, in the gift of the Slater family: the great tithes have been commuted for £210, and the small tithes for £115." 4 The Sclaters of Hoddington, claim to have borrowed their name from the parish of Slaughter, or Schlauter in Gloucestershire where they were lords of the manor of over three hundred years. 5 Early History of the Slate familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Slate research. Another 234 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1508, 1514, 1550, 1571, 1575, 1576, 1609, 1612, 1615, 1616, 1620, 1623, 1626, 1634, 1636, 1640, 1659, 1662, 1663, 1664, 1667, 1676, 1679, 1683, 1684, 1685, 1690, 1699 and 1717 are included under the topic Early Slate History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Slate Spelling VariationsThe English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore, spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Slate has been recorded under many different variations, including Sclater, Slater, Slatter, Sklater and others. Early Notables of the Slate familyDistinguished members of the family include Slate RankingIn the United States, the name Slate is the 6,150th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 6  Migration of the Slate family to Ireland
Some of the Slate family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 34 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Slate migration to the United States | + |
For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Slate or a variant listed above:
Slate Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- Edward Slate, who landed in Maryland in 1679 7
Slate Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- Mary Slate, who landed in Virginia in 1714 7
| Slate migration to Canada | + |
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: Slate Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century- Hiram Slate, who arrived in Canada in 1836
| Slate 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: Slate Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century- Mr. James Slate, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Harwood" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 4th November 1858 8
| Contemporary Notables of the name Slate (post 1700) | + |
- Cody Alan Slate (b. 1987), American NFL football tight end
- Jeremy Slate (1926-2006), born Robert Perham, an American film and television actor
- Jenny Slate (b. 1982), American actress, comedienne, and author best known for her "Marcel the Shell With Shoes On" children's books, former cast member on Saturday Night Live
- Richard Slate (1787-1867), English divine, born in London, probably the son of Thomas Slate, chip and Leghorn hat manufacturer, of 36 Noble Street, London
- Alexandra Slate, stage name for Alexandra Seightholm, a Canadian singer
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: Crescit sub pondere virtus
Motto Translation: Virtue thrives under oppression.
- Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- 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.
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. 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)
- New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
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Slate migration to the United States 
Slate migration to Canada 
Slate migration to New Zealand 
England
Ireland
Scotland
