2000
#440
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 67,208
First available Census row
Per 100,000 24.91
Uncommon Last name
Tate
Derived from the Old English given name "Tata," meaning "cheerful" or "lively," or from a place name meaning "cheerful."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 78,425 Americans carry the last name Tate. That puts it at #479 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 22.88 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 4,370 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tate surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Tate with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
78K
1 in 4,370
Census rank
#479
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
22.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
68K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 68,390 bearers of the surname Tate in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 22.88 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 479th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tate, the largest self-reported group is White at 53.4%. The next largest groups are Black (37.0%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tate
The surname Tate is believed to have originated in England, with roots dating back to the 11th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "tatu," which means a cheerful or lively person. The name may also be linked to the Old French word "tate," meaning a small heap or mound, potentially referring to someone who lived near such a geographical feature.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Tate surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and their holdings commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a person named "Tate" residing in Gloucestershire.
During the Middle Ages, the name Tate appeared in various forms, including Tatt, Tatte, and Tatte-Fere. These variations were likely influenced by regional dialects and scribal interpretations.
In the 14th century, a notable figure with the surname Tate was John Tate, a prominent merchant and landowner from Yorkshire. Records indicate that he was involved in trade with continental Europe and owned several properties in the region.
The 16th century saw the emergence of Sir Robert Tate, a influential military commander who served under King Henry VIII. He played a significant role in the English campaigns against Scotland and was recognized for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield.
In the literary world, Nahum Tate, an English poet and playwright, gained recognition in the late 17th century. Born in 1652, he is best known for his adaptation of Shakespeare's "King Lear," which remained popular on the English stage for over a century.
Another notable figure was Henry Tate, a prominent industrialist and philanthropist from the 19th century. Born in 1819, he made his fortune in the sugar refining business and later donated a significant portion of his wealth to establish the Tate Gallery, one of the most renowned art museums in the world.
The Tate surname has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Tatenhill in Staffordshire and Tate Bank in Lancashire, further reinforcing its historic roots in the region.
These are just a few examples of the rich history and legacy associated with the surname Tate, which has been carried by individuals from various walks of life across centuries of English history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tate
Among Census respondents with the surname Tate, the largest self-reported group is White at 53.4%. The next largest groups are Black (37.0%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Tate bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Tate surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White53.4% · 36,537
- Black or African American37.0% · 25,314
- Two or more races5.1% · 3,465
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 2,091
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 546
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 437
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tate
Tate appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#467
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 71,058
+3,850 bearers (+5.7%)
Per 100,000 24.09
Rank movement Down 27 places
2020
#479
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 68,390
-2,668 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 22.88
Rank movement Down 12 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #440 | 67,208 | 24.91 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #467 | 71,058 | 24.09 | +3,850 bearers (+5.7%) | Down 27 places |
| 2020 | #479 | 68,390 | 22.88 | -2,668 bearers (-3.8%) | Down 12 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Tate surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #467 | #479 | -2.6% |
| Count | 71,058 | 68,390 | -3.8% |
| Per 100K | 24.09 | 22.88 | -5.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tate bearers went from 71,058 to 68,390 (-3.8% change). The surname moved down 12 positions in the national ranking, going from #467 to #479.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Tate
FAQ
Tate surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tate?
Name Census estimates that about 78,425 living Americans carry the surname Tate. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 4,370 residents.
How common is Tate?
Tate ranks #479 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 22.88 per 100,000 residents, which is about 23 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 68,390 people with the surname Tate. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (78,425), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 22.88 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 22.88 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 23 of them to have the surname Tate.
Has Tate become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tate went from 71,058 recorded bearers to 68,390. That is a decrease of 2,668 (-3.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #467 to #479.
What does the Census say about the background of Tate?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tate, the largest self-reported group is White at 53.4%. The next largest groups are Black (37.0%) and Two or More Races (5.1%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Tate in the 2020 Census, accounting for 53.4% (36,537 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tate appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (53.4%), Black (37.0%), Two or More Races (5.1%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Tate (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Tate mean?
Derived from the Old English given name "Tata," meaning "cheerful" or "lively," or from a place name meaning "cheerful." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Tate (22.88 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Tate?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.