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

Kate, 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 Kate surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kate in America

Kate is the 65593rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kate surname appeared 302 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 Kate.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kate 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 Kate

The surname Kate is believed to have originated in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is thought to be a variant of the surname Catt or Cat, which was derived from the Old English word "catt," meaning "cat." This surname may have been used as a nickname or a reference to someone with cat-like characteristics.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Kate can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, where a person named Matilda Cate is mentioned. The name also appears in the Yorkshire Poll Tax of 1379, where a John Katt is listed.

In some regions of England, the surname Kate may have also been associated with geographic locations or place names. For instance, in Lincolnshire, there was a village called Catesby, which could have influenced the spelling and usage of the surname in that area.

Notable historical figures with the surname Kate include John Kate, a 15th-century English clergyman and scholar who served as the Archbishop of Armagh in Ireland from 1457 to 1471. Another notable bearer of the name was Sir William Kate (1460-1505), an English soldier and member of the Privy Council during the reign of King Henry VII.

In the 16th century, the surname Kate was found in various records, such as the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1524, which mentioned a Richard Kate from Worcestershire. The name also appeared in the Musters of Northamptonshire in 1539, where a Thomas Kate was recorded.

During the 17th century, the surname Kate continued to be present in various parts of England. One notable individual was Francis Kate (1635-1702), an English landowner and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for East Grinstead in the late 1600s.

Throughout its history, the surname Kate has had several variations in spelling, including Cate, Catt, Catte, and Katt. While the origins of the name are rooted in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and intermarriage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kate

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

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 Kate 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 Kate 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 Kate was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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