Explore the Family Name Agate
The meaning of Agate
1. English: topographic name for someone who lived ‘at the gate’ (Middle English a(tte) gate), i.e. one of the gates of a medieval city. However, in northern counties, Middle English gate (from Old Norse gata) also meant ‘street’, and in some instances the surname may derive from this sense. 2. Italian (Sicily): from the Greek female personal name Agathē, from agathos ‘good’. This was the name of a 3rd-century Sicilian martyr; for this reason the personal name was particularly popular in Sicily, where the surname is still concentrated today. 3. Indian (Maharashtra; pronounced as two syllables): Brahmin name from Marathi agṭe ‘live coal’ (from Sanskrit agni ‘fire’), referring to the Brahmins who maintained the sacred fire during rituals. History: Thomas Agate, a native of Shipley in Yorkshire, settled in Sparta, NY, in the 1790s. Some characteristic forenames: Italian Giuseppe, Gasper, Renzo, Salvatore. Indian Avinash, Ameeta, Usha.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Agate in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname "Agate" has seen a decline in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it ranked at 43,875, while by 2010, it fell to 52,482, marking a decrease of approximately 19.62%. The count of individuals carrying this surname also dropped by 14.69%, from 463 in 2000 to 395 in 2010. Additionally, the proportion per 100,000 people decreased by 23.53% during the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #43,875 | #52,482 | -19.62% |
| Count | 463 | 395 | -14.69% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.17 | 0.13 | -23.53% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Agate
The ethnicity data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals changes in the ethnic identities associated with the surname "Agate" between 2000 and 2010. The percentage of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander increased by 51.77%, while the percentage of those claiming two or more races decreased by 27.53%. The largest group, those identifying as White, saw a slight decrease of 1.74%. Meanwhile, the Hispanic representation experienced a growth of 17.37%, and for the first time, about 2.78% identified as Black. There were no reported changes for the American Indian and Alaskan Native category.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 86.83% | 85.32% | -1.74% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 3.67% | 5.57% | 51.77% |
| Two or More Races | 4.54% | 3.29% | -27.53% |
| Hispanic | 2.59% | 3.04% | 17.37% |
| Black | 0% | 2.78% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |