Tate Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Tate last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Tate last name
Meaning of the Tate last name: cheerful, or from an old personal name. Tate may come from an Old Norse word meaning "cheerful, glad", a nickname brought by Scandinavian settlers to northern England, or from an Old English personal name. It is most common in the north-east of England, and Tait is the Scottish form. A curious detail: Henry Tate, a sugar refiner, founded the Tate gallery in London, now famous around the world.
Arms associated with the Tate name
Animals on English shields were chosen for the qualities they stood for, such as the lion for courage, a tradition seen in arms used by Tate families.
Get your full Tate family history
This is only a glimpse of the Tate story. The full Tate 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 Tate coat of arms. Get the full Tate report.
Tate name FAQ
What does the Tate name mean?
Cheerful, or from an old personal name. Common variants include Tait, Tayt, Teyte.
Where does the Tate surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Australia and Northern Ireland.
Is there a Tate coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Tate coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford); US Census Bureau 2010.