Pate
A name of Teutonic origin signifying "leader, prince, or ruler".
Name Census estimates that about 191 living Americans carry the first name Pate. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Pate today is around 23 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Pate births was 2003 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Pate. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
191
~ 1 in 1,794,525 Americans
Peak year
2003
13 babies that year
Average age
23
years old
2024 SSA rank
#13,684
Tracked since 1901
Popularity
Pate: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Pate from the 1900s through to the 2020s, spanning 11 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 67 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Pate remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Pate by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Pate during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Pates live
Origin
Meaning and history of Pate
The name Pate has its origins in the Latin word "patere," which means "to lie open" or "to be exposed." It is believed to have been derived from the Latin word "pater," meaning "father." The name Pate was initially used in various regions of Europe during the Middle Ages, particularly in France and Italy.
In the early medieval period, the name Pate was sometimes used as a nickname or a shortened form of longer names such as Patrice or Patricio, which were derived from the Latin name Patricius, meaning "of noble descent." The name Pate also had connections to the Christian faith, as it was occasionally given to individuals who were born or baptized on the feast day of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pate dates back to the 12th century, when a French nobleman named Pate de Châtillon was mentioned in historical records. In the 13th century, an Italian poet and philosopher named Pate da Montechiello gained recognition for his contributions to literature.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Pate. One of the most famous was Pate de la Rue (1260-1325), a French composer and poet who was highly regarded in his time for his contributions to the development of secular music. Another notable figure was Pate d'Arles (1426-1499), a French scholar and theologian who played a significant role in the Renaissance humanist movement.
In the 16th century, Pate Paien (1510-1565) was a French lyric poet and member of the Pléiade, a group of influential poets who sought to elevate the French language to the level of ancient Greek and Latin. During the same period, Pate de Sarassin (1545-1590) was a French poet and satirist known for his witty and biting critiques of contemporary society.
Another prominent individual with the name Pate was Pate Pâris (1585-1637), a French painter and architect who was celebrated for his works in the Baroque style. In the 18th century, Pate de Rougemont (1710-1768) was a Swiss philosopher and writer who made significant contributions to the Enlightenment movement.
While the name Pate has its roots in Latin and was initially popular in various regions of Europe, it has since spread to other parts of the world and continues to be used as a given name in various cultures and societies.
People
Pate + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Pate as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with P
Other first names starting with P with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Pate: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Pate?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 191 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Pate going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,794,525 US residents.
Is Pate a common name?
We classify Pate as "Very Rare". It ranks above 73.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 272 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Pate most popular?
The single biggest year for Pate was 2003, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Pate is about 23 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Pate a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Pate in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.