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

Oates, 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 Oates surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Oates in America

Oates is the 2940th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Oates surname appeared 12,202 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Oates.

We can also compare 2010 data for Oates 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 Oates

The surname Oates is of English origin and can be traced back to the early medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "aten," which means oats, indicating that the name likely referred to someone who grew or dealt with oats. Some variations of the name include Oat, Oates, Otes, and Oatts.

The surname is found in early records such as the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Otes" and "Ode." This suggests that the name was already established in various parts of England by the 11th century.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was William Oates, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1199. In the 13th century, the name appears in various spellings, including Otes and Otes, in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire from 1273.

The surname Oates is also associated with several place names in England, such as Oatlands in Surrey and Oathill in Somerset. These place names may have influenced the surname or vice versa, reflecting the connection between the name and the cultivation of oats.

Notable individuals with the surname Oates include:

1. Titus Oates (1649-1705), an English perjurer who fabricated the "Popish Plot" against King Charles II in 1678, leading to the execution of several innocent people.

2. Sir Frank Oates (1840-1875), a British explorer and naturalist who led several expeditions to Central Africa and was killed by a wounded elephant in present-day Mozambique.

3. Joyce Carol Oates (born 1938), an American writer known for her novels, short stories, and literary criticism, and a recipient of the National Book Award and the O. Henry Award.

4. Warren Oates (1928-1982), an American actor known for his roles in films such as "The Wild Bunch" and "Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia."

5. Lawrence Oates (1880-1912), a British army officer and Antarctic explorer who famously sacrificed himself during Robert Falcon Scott's ill-fated Terra Nova Expedition to the South Pole in 1912.

The surname Oates continues to be prevalent in various English-speaking countries, reflecting its long history and enduring legacy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Oates

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

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

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

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