Slater Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Slater last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Slater last name
Meaning of the Slater last name: slate roofer. Slater is an English surname for a roofer who laid slates, from an Old French word for a splinter or chip. The last name is found in the north of England, especially Lancashire, Yorkshire and Derbyshire. A curious detail of this surname origin: Samuel Slater from Belper in Derbyshire built one of the first water-powered cotton mills in America, in Rhode Island, in 1793.
Arms associated with the Slater name
English heraldry loves puns, choosing figures that echo the sound of a name, and that playful custom runs through many coats of arms linked with the Slater name.
Get your full Slater family history
This is only a glimpse of the Slater story. The full Slater history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Slater coat of arms. Get the full Slater report.
Slater name FAQ
What does the Slater name mean?
Slate roofer. Common variants include Sclater, Slatter, Slator.
Where does the Slater surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Australia and Canada.
Is there a Slater coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Slater coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).