Yates Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Yates last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Yates last name
Meaning of the Yates last name: gatekeeper, or dweller by a gate. Yates comes from the Old English word for "gate" and was a name for someone who lived by the gate of a town or manor, or who kept it. Northern speech said "yate" for "gate", giving the surname its form. It is especially common in Lancashire, Cheshire and Staffordshire. A curious detail: the Irish poet W. B. Yeats carried a closely related spelling of the very same name.
Arms associated with the Yates name
English heraldry loves puns, with pictures chosen to match the sound of a name, and families like the Yatess often enjoyed that playful custom.
Get your full Yates family history
This is only a glimpse of the Yates story. The full Yates history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Yates coat of arms. Get the full Yates report.
Yates name FAQ
What does the Yates name mean?
Gatekeeper, or dweller by a gate. Common variants include Yeats, Gates, Yeates.
Where does the Yates surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Australia and Ireland.
Is there a Yates coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Yates coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford); US Census Bureau 2010.