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Yates Family History

Yates Name Meaning

English: from Middle English yates ‘gates’ plural of yate Old English geat ‘gate’ hence a topographic or occupational name for someone who lived by the gates of a town or castle and who probably acted as the gatekeeper or porter. Compare Gates . Alternatively a variant of the singular form Yate with post-medieval excrescent -s.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Gates, Sales, Oates, Tates, Mates, Cates, Hales, Cater, Zales, Tate

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Yates family from?

You can see how Yates families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Yates family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Yates families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1840 there were 139 Yates families living in New York. This was about 19% of all the recorded Yates's in USA. New York had the highest population of Yates families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Yates surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Yates ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Yates. 17% of Yates men worked as a Laborer and 7% of Yates women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Yates were Truck Driver and Maid. .

View Census Data for Yates | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    17%
  • Farmer
    17%
  • Salesman
    5%
  • Truck Driver
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    7%
  • Housekeeper
    6%
  • Teacher
    6%
  • Maid
    5%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Yates family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 549,000 census records available for the last name Yates. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Yates census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Yates

Passenger Lists

There are 46,000 immigration records available for the last name Yates. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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Draft Cards

There are 74,000 military records available for the last name Yates. For the veterans among your Yates ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Yates lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Yates life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Yates in 1940 was 47, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Yates

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