Explore the Family Name Oates
The meaning of Oates
1. English and Irish (of Norman origin): from the Old Norman French personal names Ode, Odde, Odes, Otto, Otes, or Otton (ancient Germanic Audo, Odo, Oddo, Otto), originally a short form of ancient Germanic compound names based on the element aud ‘wealth, prosperity’. See also Ott 2. 2. Irish and Manx: adopted for Ó Cuirc or Mac Cuirc (see Quirk), a personal name based on Gaelic corc ‘heart’, by erroneous association with the Irish word coirce ‘oats’ (Manx corkey).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Oates in the United States?
According to data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Oates experienced a minor decline in rank from 2914 in 2000 to 2940 in 2010, representing a -0.89 change. However, the count or frequency of the Oates surname increased by 7.54 percent during the same period, from 11,346 in 2000 to 12,202 in 2010. Despite this increase, the proportion per 100,000 people slightly decreased by -1.66.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,914 | #2,940 | -0.89% |
| Count | 11,346 | 12,202 | 7.54% |
| Proportion per 100k | 4.21 | 4.14 | -1.66% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Oates
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Oates saw some shifts between 2000 and 2010, as reported by the Decennial U.S. Census. The percentage of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native decreased by -9.09 percent and -15.79 percent respectively. However, there were increases among those identifying as two or more races (a significant 62.60 percent rise) and Hispanic (a 61.31 percent increase). The percentage of white individuals with the surname Oates dropped slightly by -4.85 percent, while black individuals saw an increase of 5.04 percent in the same time frame.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 64.13% | 61.02% | -4.85% |
| Black | 32.36% | 33.99% | 5.04% |
| Hispanic | 1.37% | 2.21% | 61.31% |
| Two or More Races | 1.23% | 2% | 62.6% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.57% | 0.48% | -15.79% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.33% | 0.3% | -9.09% |
Oates ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Oates is British & Irish, which comprises 56.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (18.5%) and Eastern European (4.6%). Additional ancestries include Nigerian, Italian, Scandinavian, Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, and Spanish & Portuguese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 56.9% |
| French & German | 18.5% |
| Eastern European | 4.6% |
| Other | 20.0% |
Possible origins of the surname Oates
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Oates have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 86.60% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 86.60% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 86.60% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 86.10% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 86.10% |
What Oates haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Oates is R-Z278, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Z278 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-A260, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Peacock, Stokes, Ayers, Colon, Burnette, Matthews, Elkins, Ball, Ford, Burnett.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Oates surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Oates have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Oates" Surname 46.7%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Oates" Surname 21.3%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Oates" Surname 17.5%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Oates" Surname 15.6%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Oates?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Oates are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition