Find out how popular the last name Gaters is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Gaters.

Gaters, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Gaters surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gaters in America

Gaters is the 98099th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gaters surname appeared 185 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Gaters.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gaters to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Gaters

The surname Gaters originated in England during the medieval period, likely derived from the Old English word "geat," meaning "gate" or "opening." It was often a descriptive name given to someone who lived near a gate or worked as a gatekeeper.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gaters can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1191, where a certain Willelmus le Gater was mentioned. This suggests that the surname was already established in parts of England by the late 12th century.

The name Gaters may also have connections to specific place names, such as Gatersbury or Gateshead, which could have influenced its origins and early usage. However, there is limited evidence of these direct associations in historical records.

In the 13th century, the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire (1279) contained an entry for a Richard le Gater, indicating the continued use and spread of the surname across different regions of England.

During the 14th century, the Poll Tax returns of Yorkshire (1379) listed a John Gater, providing further evidence of the name's presence in various parts of the country.

One notable historical figure with the surname Gaters was Sir John Gaters (1504-1573), a prominent landowner and Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Another individual worth mentioning is William Gaters (1648-1724), an English clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Surrey and authored several religious works.

In the 18th century, Thomas Gaters (1737-1804) was a successful businessman and philanthropist from Bristol, known for his contributions to the city's development and charitable endeavors.

Moving into the 19th century, Elizabeth Gaters (1817-1892) was a notable author and poet from Oxfordshire, who published several collections of her works during her lifetime.

Finally, one of the more recent historical figures with the surname Gaters was George Gaters (1892-1964), a British military officer who served in both World Wars and received numerous decorations for his service.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gaters

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Gaters.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Gaters was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Gaters has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Gaters was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Gaters, please contact us.

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