Explore the Family Name Kate

The meaning of Kate

1. English (Middlesex and Hereforshire): probably from a pet form of the female personal name Catherine, Catelin, or perhaps from a Middle English reflex of the Old Norse male personal name Káti, Kati, Kate (from kátr ‘merry’). 2. Possibly an Americanized form of German Köth, see Koeth. 3. Dutch (Ten Kate): topographic name from Middle Dutch cate, cote ‘cottage, hovel, small farm’.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Kate in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Kate has seen a steady decline from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, the rank of the surname was 56,826, but by 2010 it had fallen to 65,593, marking a decrease of 15.43%. The number of people bearing this surname also dropped from 336 in 2000 to 302 in 2010, a reduction of 10.12%. Similarly, the proportion per 100k fell from 0.12 to 0.1, representing a 16.67% decline.

20002010Change
Rank#56,826#65,593-15.43%
Count336302-10.12%
Proportion per 100k0.120.1-16.67%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Kate

In terms of ethnicity, the census data shows an interesting shift for those with the surname Kate. In 2000, the majority of individuals identified as White (68.75%), followed by Black (21.13%). However, by 2010 there were notable changes. The percentage of people identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander saw a significant increase from 3.87% to 9.27%, a staggering growth of 139.53%. There was also an increase in individuals identifying as belonging to two or more races, going up from 2.98% to 4.3%. On the other hand, those identifying as Black decreased to 16.56%, a drop of 21.63%. The percentage of those identifying as White also fell slightly to 67.22%. The data indicated that no individual with the surname Kate identified as Hispanic or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either year.

20002010Change
White68.75%67.22%-2.23%
Black21.13%16.56%-21.63%
Asian/Pacific Islander3.87%9.27%139.53%
Two or More Races2.98%4.3%44.3%
Hispanic0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%