Explore the Family Name Slater
The meaning of Slater
English: 1. from Middle English sclat(t)er, an occupational name for someone who lays slates or sandstone flags on roofs or who manages a quarry from which slates or flagstones were excavated. See also Slate. 2. occupational name for a butcher, from Middle English sleght, a variant of slaught ‘slaughter, butchery’ (Old English -slæht ‘blow, stroke’), + the agent suffix -ere. Middle English Sleyghtere has only been found in Essex and is formally related to the synonymous occupational name Slaughter. 3. in Sussex and adjacent counties, Slater and Slatter are probably post-medieval pronunciations of Slaughter; there seems to be no medieval evidence in the southern coast counties for the occupational name Slater in 1 above.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Slater in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Slater experienced a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. In the year 2000, Slater was ranked as the 1013th most popular surname in America, with a count of 31,569. Ten years later, in 2010, it had fallen to the 1075th position even though the count increased to 32,584. This represents a decrease in popularity rank by 6.12% and an increase in count by 3.22%. The proportion of people named Slater per 100,000 also decreased by 5.56% over this period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,013 | #1,075 | -6.12% |
| Count | 31,569 | 32,584 | 3.22% |
| Proportion per 100k | 11.7 | 11.05 | -5.56% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Slater
When looking at the ethnic identity associated with the surname Slater, there have been some noticeable shifts from 2000 to 2010, as shown in the Decennial U.S. Census data. The largest increase was seen in the Hispanic category, rising from 1.63% in 2000 to 2.53% in 2010, a change of 55.21%. The second highest growth was observed in the Asian/Pacific Islander group, with an increase of 40.00%. The proportion of individuals identifying as two or more races also saw a rise of 28.89%. Conversely, the percentage of Whites with the surname Slater declined by 2.79%, although they still make up the majority. The proportion of Blacks and American Indian and Alaskan Natives saw modest increases, 5.14% and 8.70% respectively.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 81.47% | 79.2% | -2.79% |
| Black | 14.41% | 15.15% | 5.14% |
| Hispanic | 1.63% | 2.53% | 55.21% |
| Two or More Races | 1.35% | 1.74% | 28.89% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.69% | 0.75% | 8.7% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.45% | 0.63% | 40% |
Slater 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 Slater is British & Irish, which comprises 49.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (22.9%) and Ashkenazi Jewish (6.6%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Nigerian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 49.0% |
| French & German | 22.9% |
| Ashkenazi Jewish | 6.6% |
| Other | 21.5% |
Possible origins of the surname Slater
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 Slater have recent ancestry locations in United Kingdom and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 81.80% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 81.60% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 81.50% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 81.50% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 81.10% |
What Slater 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 Slater is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-Z19 and R-L21, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Lloyd, Shaw, Morgan, Phillips, Jones, Richards, Reese, Evans, Cameron, Price.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Slater 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 Slater 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.
"Slater" Surname 43.7%
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.
"Slater" Surname 29.1%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Slater" Surname 24.9%
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.
"Slater" Surname 19.6%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Slater?
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 Slater are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition