Yates Family Crest, Coat of Arms and Name History
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Learn MoreYates Surname Name Meaning, Origin, History, & Etymology
The last name Yates is a topographic name which denoted a person who lived near a gate of a walled town or a metonymic occupational name for a gatekeeper, derived from the Middle English word yates and Old English word geat, meaning gate. A similar theory is the name referred to a person who lived in a gap in a chain of hills, called a gate. A competing theory is offered by Henry Barber in his 1903 book British Family Names: “From the Old Norse, Geitr (?); from the German, Jaty, Jaite; from the French, Jette; a personal name”.
Spelling variants or names with similar etymologies include Yate, Yeates, Yeats, Yatess, Yetts, Yet, and Yete. Some claim the name is Anglo-Saxon in origin and traces back to medieval times. Others assert the name Anglo-Norman and came into England after the Norman Conquest of 1066 AD. The family first held land and titles in Gloucestershire and Old Hutton in Westmoreland. They owned an ancient manor called Hood Ridding in the latter county.
Edward MacLysaght stated the following in regard to this surname in Ireland: “The famous family of Yeats, which had formerly been in Dublin, settled in Co. Sligo at the end of the seventeenth century. There are a number of families of Yates and Yeates elsewhere unconnected with them”.
Early Bearers of the Yates Surname
The first known bearers of this surname was Hereward de Jette who was documented in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1198 AD. Philip del Yate was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Cheshire in 1260 AD. Robert ate Yates was recorded in the Assize Rolls of Norfolk in 1344 AD. Adam del Yate was a juror during an inquisition held at Lochmaben, Scotland in 1347 AD. The Poll Tax Rolls of Yorkshire in 1379 AD lists one bearer: Johannes ate Yate. John Yet owned land in Arbroath, Scotland in 1425 AD.
Popularity & Geographic Distribution
The last name Yates ranks 491st popularity in the United Status as of the 2000 Census. The name ranks particularly high in the following four states:
The surname Yates frequency/commonness ranks as follows in the British Isles: England (190th), Scotland (841st), Wales (334th), Ireland (2,369th) and Northern Ireland (1,552nd). In England, it ranks highest in counties Lancashire and Greater Manchester. In Scotland, the surname ranks highest in South Ayshire and Hebrides. In Ireland, it ranks highest in Connaught. In Wales, it ranks as Conwy and Denbighshire.
The name is also present throughout the remainder English speaking world: Canada (1,419th), New Zealand (345th), Australia (362nd), and South Africa (5,034th).
Yates Family Tree & Yates Genealogy
Yates of Dingle Head
The Yates genealogy or pedigree of this branch of the family tree traces back to Reverend John Yates, of Dingle Head, Toxteth Park, Liverpool, who was born in 1765. He married Eliza, daughter of John Ashton Esq. of Liverpool, and had the following issue with her: 1) Joseph Brooks (married Margaret Taylor of Blackley, had children named Elizabeth, Margaret, Sarah Jane, Anna Maria, Emma, and Harriet), 2) John of Ashton (discussed below), 3) Richard Vaughan (married Sarah, daughter of Richard Mills, and later Anne Simpson), 4) James (M.D., F.R.S of Lauderdale House, Highgate, married Dorothea, daughter of William Crompton of Edgbaston, county Warwick), 5) Pemberton Haywood, 6) Elizabeth, 7) Anna Maria (of Farm Field, Toxteth Park), and 8) Jane Ellen (of Farm Field, Toxteth Park). His son, John Ashton Yates, Esquire of Dingle Head, Toxteth Park, county Lancaster, was born in 1781. He was a Member of Parliament for county Carlow. He married Frances Mary, daughter of Reverend Verney Lovett, and had the following children with him: 1) Frances (married Sir Richard Musgrave, Baronet of Tourin), 2) Mary Ellen (married John Needham Phillips, Esq., and Member of Parliament for Bury), 3) Ellen Mellissina, 4) Isabella, 5) Sophia (married Louis Tennysen d’Eyncourt, son of Charles Tennyson d’Eyncourt, Member of Parliament of Bayons Manor).
Other Yates
John Attaya was born in Curcourt, Denchworth, England in 1430 AD. He had a son. This son was known as William of Charney Yate. He was born in Charney, Berkshire, Lyford, England in 1420. He had a son named Edmond who was born in 1445 in the same town. Edmond married Margaret Cornell and had a son with her named Richard. Richard was an Esquire who was born in the same town. In 1489, he married Joane Johanne Ashendon and had the following issue: Andrew, John, Bartholomew, Ann, Edmond, Margaret, and Elizabeth. His son John Yates was an Esquire born in Charney, England around 1490. In 1504, he married Alice Hyde and had the following children with her: Joan, Richard, Bartholomew, Thomas, and Ursula. His son, Thomas Yates, was born in Lyford Grange, Berkshire in 1505. He had a son named Francis. Francis Yates, Esquire was born in the same town around 1545. In 1569, he married Jane Tichborne. In 1581, he married Frances White. He was the father of Elizabeth And Thomas. His son, Sir Thomas Yate (or Yeats or Yates) was born in Lyford Grange in around 1570. He married twice: Mary Tregian and Dorothy Stephens. He had the following issue: Frances, Anne, Jane (Francis), John, John, Thomas, and William. The son John was born in Lyford, England in 1611. He married Mary Elizabeth Tattershall in 1633. He went to colonial America where he married Elizabeth Perrin in Virginia in 1640. He was the father of the following children: John, Frances, George Joseph I, Thomas, and Elizabeth. George Joseph Yate(s) I was born in Ufton Court, Berkshire around 1640. He went to colonial America with his father. In 1671, he married Mary, daughter of Richard Wells and Francis White, in Anne Arundel, Maryland in 1671. He had the following issue: Anne, Elizabeth, John, John, Ann, George II, and Joseph. Two of his sons are discussed below:
1) John Yates was born in 1657. He married Elizabeth Tucker. They had a son named John who was born in Maryland in 1694, a grandson named John who was born in Nanesmond, Virginia in 1715, and a great grandson named John Yates IV, born in Virginia in 1737, the husband of Sarah and father of William
2) George Yate II was born in Anne Arundel, Maryland in 1674. He married Rachel Warfield and had the following issue: Michael, Samuel, George III, Joshua, Benjamin, Mary, Eleanor, and Rachel.
Yates Marriages
1) Thomas Yates married Joan Browne in Wood Enderby, Lincoln, England in November 1573
2) Ambrose Yates married Ales Farye in Wells, Norfolk, England in July 1579
3) Richarde Yates married Ellin Shawe in Gunby St. Nicholas, Lincoln England in November 1567
4) John Yates married Margaret Bigart in Peterhead, Aberdeen, Scotland in June 1675
5) Thomas Yeat married Jannet Migilson in Strathdon, Aberdeen, Scotland in June 1688
6) Thomas Yates married Jane Steward in Saint Munchin, Limerick, Ireland in 1763
7) Samuel Yates married Lydia Heath in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada in 1788
8) John Yates married Cathrine Caldwell in North Caswell, North Carolina in October 1780
9) Stephen Yates married Abigail Dunham in First Baptist Church, Newport, Rhode Island in December 1792
10) Richard Yates married Mercy Purdy in Presbyterian Church, Rumbout, Dutchess, New York in September 1767
11) Robert Yates married Melissa Keith in Columbiana, Ohio in August 1858
12) John Nelson Yates married Armena Battersbee in Worth, Sanilac, Michigan in August 1872
Yates in Early America
Some of the earliest settlers in colonial America bearing this name include:
1) Edward Yates, age 18, came to Virginia in 1619 aboard the Duty
2) Katherine Yates, age 19, came to Virginia in 1634 aboard the Bonaventure
3) William Yates, age 14, came from Massachusetts in 1635 aboard the Abigall
4) Robert Yates, age 25, came to Virginia in 1635 aboard the Globe
5) Henry Yates came to Virginia in 1635
6) John Yates, age 20, came to Virginia in 1635 aboard the America
7) Richard Yates came to Virginia in 1636
8) John Yates came to Virginia in 1649
9) James Yates came to Virginia in 1652
10) Stephen Yates came to Virginia in 1653
11) Robert Yates came to Virginia in 1653
12) Mary Yates came to Virginia in 1644
13) George Yate came to Maryland in 1670
14) Humphrey Yates came to Maryland in 1671
Several thousand members of the Yates family came to the United States through Ellis Island, during the nineteenth century, including:
1) Georgina Yates came from Liverpool, England aboard the Arizona in 1893
2) Bernard Yates came from Wolverhampton, England aboard the Baltic in 1906
3) Thomas Yates came from England aboard the SS Colorado in 1869
4) George Yates came from England aboard the City of Autwerp in 1872
5) Sarah and Anne Yates came from England aboard the City of Boston in 1868
6) Richard Yates came from England aboard the City of Brussels in 1872
7) Albert Yates came from England aboard the City of Brussels in 1869
8) Joseph Yates came from Ireland aboard the City of Paris in 1872
9) Christopher Yates came from Ireland aboard the Abyssinia in 1871
10) Francis Herbert Yates came from Toronto, Canada aboard the Olympic in 1913
11) Herbert Yates came from Tamworth, England aboard the Baltic in 1913
12) Jessie Yates came from Alva, Scotland aboard the Caledonia in 1909
Some of the earliest settlers in Canada bearing this name include:
1) Charles Yates came to Nova Scotia in 1749
2) Tomas Yate came to Nova Scotia in 1774
3) John Yates came in 1796
4) John Yates came to Ontario, Canada in 1819
5) Isaac Yates came in 1830
Some of the earliest settlers in Australia bearing this name include:
1) Peter Yates came from Edenfield, Lancashire aboard the Nabob in 1842
2) John Yates came from Liverpool, England aboard the Heber in 1836
3) James Yates came from Bolton, Lancashire aboard the Nabob in 1838
4) John Yates came from Liverpool, England aboard the Formosa in 1839
5) William Yates came from Bolton, Lancashire aboard the Nabob in 1838
Some of the earliest settlers in New Zealand bearing this name include:
1) John Yates came aboard the Martha Ridgway in 1841
2) Jane Yates came aboard the Martha Ridgway in 1841
3) Mary J. Yates came to Canterbury aboard the Atrato in 1874
4) Charles Yates, a bricklayer from Staffordshire, England came to Canterbury aboard the Atrato in 1874
5) Ernest Yates, a scedmans from England came to Wellington in 1888
Notables
There are hundreds of notable people with the Yates surname. This page will mention a handful. Famous people with this last name include:
1) Abraham Yates Jr. (1724-1796) was a lawyer and pamphleteer who was the Mayor of Albany, New York in 1790-1796 and was also a delegate for New York to the Congress of Confederation in 1787 and 1788
2) Robert Yates (1738-1801) who was a politician and judge best known for his Anti-Federalist reviews who published essays and opposed the introduction of the Constitution, born in Schenectady, New York
3) Elizabeth Yates McGreal (1905-2001) was an American writer born in Buffalo, New York who is best known for her novels Amos Fortune and Free Man.
4) Joseph C. Yates (1768-1837) was the 7th Governor of New York from 1823-1824
5) Peter Waldron Yates (1747-1826) who was a statesman and lawyer from Albany, New York who was a delegate to the Continental Congress in 1786
6) Richard Yates (1815-1873) was a politician born in Warsaw, Kentucky who held three positions: member of the US House of Representatives from Illinois from 1851-1855, the 13th Governor of Illinois from 1861-1865, and a US Senator from Illinois from 1865-1871
7) Elizabeth Yates (nee Oman, c. 1845-1918) was the mayor of Onehunga, New Zealand, the first female mayor in the British Empire
8) Dorian Andrew Mientjez Yates (1962) is a former English bodybuilder born in Walmley, Warwickshire who won the Mr. Olympia titled six years in a row from 1992-1997
9) Tyler Kalie Yates (1977) who was a former pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for three teams (New York Mets, Atlanta Braves, and Pittsburgh Pirates) from 2004-2009, born in Lihue, Hawaii
10) Frederick Dewhurst Yates (1884-1932) was an English chess master born in Birstall who won the British Chess Championship six times
Yates America Civil War Veterans
There were several soldiers with the last name Yates who served in the American Civil War, including the following:
1) William L. Yates of the 49th Regiment Ohio Infantry (Union)
2) Lucien B. Yates of the 113th Regiment Illinois Infantry (Union)
3) Baamah N. Yates of the 17th Regiment Kentucky Cavalry (Union)
4) James K.P. Yates of the 6th Regiment West Virginia Infantry (Union)
5) Andrew J. Yates of the 32nd Regiment Indiana Infantry (Union)
6) William S. Yates of the 9th Regiment Texas Infantry (Confederacy)
7) Peter R. Yates of the 3rd Regiment Indiana Infantry (Union)
8) Anderson W. Yates of the 1st Regiment Tennessee Heavy (Confederacy)
9) Arthur Yates of 3rd Regiment Missouri Infantry (Confederacy)
10) George Yates of the 1st Battalion Missouri Cavalry State Guard (Confederacy)
11) James Yates of the 31st Regiment, United States Colored Infantry (Union)
12) Allen Yates of the 70th Regiment, United States Colored Infantry (Union)
Yates America Revolution Veterans
There were several soldiers with the last name Yates who served in the Revolutionary War, including the following:
1) Private Chris P. Yates of New York
2) Lieutenant Colonel Peter Yates of New York
3) Private Abraham Yates of New York
4) Private Edward Yates of Virginia
5) Sergeant John Yates of New Jersey
6) Private William Yates of Connecticut
7) Major Christopher Yates of New York
8) Sergeant Thomas Yates of Maryland
9) Private Joseph Yates of South Carolina
10) Sergeant Joseph Yates of New Jersey
11) Captain Jacob Yates of New York
12) Colonel Peter Yates of New York
- Commander Edward Vernon Yates
credit: National Maritime Museum
- Reverend Richard Yates (1796–1864), Chaplain of the Royal Hospital Chelsea, Rector of Ashen
credit: The Royal Hospital Chelsea
- Joseph Brooks Yates (1780–1855), English merchant & antiquary
credit: Walker Art Gallery
- Colonel Sir Charles Edward Yate, 1st Baronet (1849-1940)
- Madeley Hall
credit: madeleylocalhistory.org
- Mary Ann Yates (1728-1787), English actress
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Blazons & Genealogy Notes
- Joseph Yates of Peel Hall (1764-1820)
hibbertfamily.org
1) (co. Worcester). (Stanford and Lyford, co. Berks, cos. Buckingham, Oxford, Wilts, and Worcester). Per fess embattled ar. and sa. three gates counterchanged
2) Same Arms. Crest—A demi lion ramp. az.
3) (Strectyate, afterwards of Peel Hall, or Wicheeves, co. Lancaster). Per fess sa. and ar. on a fess embattled counter-embattled betw. three gates as many goats’ heads erased all counterchanged. Crest—Out of a ducal coronet or, a goat’s head sa. armed gold. Motto (over the crest)—Legale Judicium parlum.
4) (Holm Cot, co. Devon). Az. on a fess hetw. two gates in chief or, and as many swords saltireways in base ppr. three goats’ heads erased sa. Crest—A goat’s head erased ar. guttee de larmes, pierced through the neck fesswise with a sword point to the dexter ppr. Motto—Pro rege et patria.
5) (Park-Yates). Per fess nebulee ar. and gu. a goat’s head couped betw. three gates all counterchanged. Crest—A goat’s head couped ar. crusily gu. in the mouth a cinquefoil slipped vert.
6) (John Ashton Yates, Esq., of Bryanstone Square, London). Per pale or and az. a fess dancettee betw. three gates counterchanged. Crest—A demi antelope or, gorged with a collar dancettee az. and holding betw. the legs a mullet pierced sa. Motto—Sit quarta coeli.
7) Az. on a fess ar. betw. three gates or, as many antelopes’ heads ppr. Crest—An antelope’s head ppr.
8) (Oakwood Hall, co. York; Ernest Bentlet Shaw-Yates, Esq., of Oakwood Hall, is eldest son of the late Robert Bentley Shaw-Yates, Esq., by Elizabeth Ellen, his wife, only dau. and heir of James Yates, Esq., of Oakwood Hall, and grandson of Bentley Shaw, Esq., of Woodfield, co. York). Az. on a chev. engr. erminois, betw. two goats’ heads erased in chief ar. armed or, and a gate in base of the last three pellets quartering Shaw, of Ardersley, and Lancaster, of Richmond. Crest—Upon a mount vert a goat’s head erased ar. armed or, charged on the neck with a pellet and surmounting two branches of oak in saltire ppr. fructed or.
9) (Buckland, co. Berks). Ar. a fess embattled betw. three gates sa. Crest—Out of a ducal coronet or, a goat’s head sa. attire and tufted gold.
- Joseph Yates (b. 1690)
hibbertfamily.org
10) Same Arms. Crest—A horse’s head gu.
11) (Buckland, co. Berks, bart., extinct 1690; Edward Yate, Esq., of Buckland, was so created 1622; Sir John Yate, fourth bart., d. unm.). Per pale embattled ar. and sa. three field gates counterchanged.
12) (Hynton, co. Berks, and Bentlott, co. Oxford; John Yate, of Hynton, and Francis Yate, of Bentlott, sons of Andrew Yate, of Hynton, who was son of John Yate, of Charney, Lord of Lynford, co. Berks, and grandson of Richard Yate, of Charney. Visit. Oxon, 1574). Per fess embattled or and gu. three gates counterchanged, quartering, Gu. a chev. vair betw. three crescents erm., for Goddard. Crest—Out of a ducal corouet or, a buck’s head sa. attired ar.
13) (Stanlake, co. Oxford; James Yate, Esq., of Stanlake, grandson of John Yate, Esq., of same place, eldest son of Edmund Yate, Esq., of same place, temp. Edward IV., who was great-grandson of William Yate, gent., of Charney, co. Berks. Visit. Oxon, 1574). Per fess sa. and ar. on a fess embattled counter-embattled betw. three gates as many goats’ heads erased all counterchanged.
14) (Witney, co. Oxford; Thomas Yate, Esq., of Witney, temp. Queen Elizabeth, son of Leonard Yate, of same place, who was second son of Edmund Yate, Esq., of Stanlake, temp. Edward IV. Visit. Oxon, 1574). Same Arms, a crescent for diff.
15) (co. Oxford). Per fess crenelle or and gu. three gates and as many crescents counterchanged.
16) (Chaddesley-Corbett and Harvington, co. Worcester). Ar. a fess embattled betw. three gates sa.
17) (Wotton Waven, co. Warwick; confirmed by the Deputies of Camden, Clarenceux, to Thomas Yate, of that place, grandson of Richard Yate, of Buckland, co. Berks). Per fess embattled or and gu. three gates counterchanged. Crest—Out of a ducal coronet or, a goat’s head sa. armed ar.
- Maghull Yates (b. 1714)
hibbertfamily.org
18) (Arlington and Crepingham, co. Gloucester). Az. a fess or, in chief two mullets of the second.
19) (Uppham, co. Wilts). Per fess sa. and ar. on a fess embattled betw. three gates as many goats’ heads erased all counterchanged. Crest—A demi goat ramp. per pale sa. And ar. attired counterchanged, holding betw. the legs a gate or.
20) (Bromesberrow, co. Gloucester; John Yate, son of Robert Yate, Esq., of Dursley, m. Margaret, dau. and coheir of John Berkeley, son of Sir Robert Berkeley, of Arlingham, in the same co.; his descendant, Walter Yate, of Hook House, in the parish of Bromesberrow, d.s.p. 1744, and was s. by his great-nephew, Robert Dobyns, Esq., of Evesbatch, co. Hereford, grandson of Robert Dobyns, and his wife, Catherine Yate, who in consequence assumed the surname and arms of Yate, by Act of Parliament, 1759 ;his son left at his decease 1785, a son, Walter Honeywood Yate, Esq., of Bromesberrow, and a dau. Caroline Elizabeth, in. Richard Donovan, Esq., of Tibberton Court, a descendant of Donovan, of Ballymore, co. Wexford, and had an only child, Caroline Anne Donovan, m. James Scott, Esq., Capt. R.N.). Quarterly, 1st and 4th, az. a fess and in chief two mullets or, for Yate; 2nd and 3rd, az. a chev. betw. three annulets or, for Dobyns. Crests—1st: An elephant’s head ar. tusked or; 2nd: A falcon volant or. Mottoes—Quo virtus vocat, for Yate; Quod pudet hoc pigeat. pudet hoc pigeat.
21) (Lifford, co. Donegal; Fun. Ent. Ulster’s Office, 1675, Mary, dau. of John Yeates, of Lifford). Per fess embattled ar. and sa. three gates counterchanged.
22) Same Arms. Crest—A lion’s head erased ar.
23) Same Arms. Crest—A lion’s head erased ar.
- Sir Joseph Yates (1722-1770)
hibbertfamily.org
- Oakwood Hall, today
- Sir John Yate, 4th Baronet (d. 1690)
- Apollonia, daughter of Sir John Yate
- Sir Charles Yate, 3rd Baronet (died c. 1680)
- memorial of Sir Edward Yate, 1st Baronet of Buckland (died c. 1645)
credit: buckland-livinghistory.org.uk
