Explore the Family Name Yates
The meaning of Yates
English: from Middle English yates ‘gates’, plural of yate, Old English geat ‘gate’, hence a topographic or occupational name for someone who lived by the gates of a town or castle and who probably acted as the gatekeeper or porter. Compare Gates. Alternatively, a variant of the singular form Yate, with post-medieval excrescent -s.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Yates in the United States?
According to data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Yates has seen slight changes over a decade. In 2000, it ranked as the 491st most common surname in the country, with a count of 61,400 and representing approximately 22.76 out of every 100,000 people. By 2010, the rank had dropped to 535, indicating a decrease in its relative frequency by about 8.96%. However, the raw count of individuals with the surname increased to 63,254, marking a growth of 3.02%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #491 | #535 | -8.96% |
| Count | 61,400 | 63,254 | 3.02% |
| Proportion per 100k | 22.76 | 21.44 | -5.8% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Yates
Diving into the ethnicity associated with the Yates surname based on Decennial U.S. Census data, there are noticeable shifts between 2000 and 2010. The largest ethnic group was Whites, accounting for 82.61% in 2000 which decreased slightly to 80.58% by 2010. Those identifying as Black made up the second-largest group at 13.29% in 2000, with a small increase to 14.07% by 2010. Individuals of Hispanic ethnicity represented 1.57% in 2000, growing to 2.25% by 2010. Meanwhile, those identifying with two or more races saw significant growth from 1.46% to 2.07%. Asian/Pacific Islander representation also grew from 0.44% to 0.49%, while American Indian and Alaskan Native representation decreased from 0.63% to 0.54%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 82.61% | 80.58% | -2.46% |
| Black | 13.29% | 14.07% | 5.87% |
| Hispanic | 1.57% | 2.25% | 43.31% |
| Two or More Races | 1.46% | 2.07% | 41.78% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.63% | 0.54% | -14.29% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.44% | 0.49% | 11.36% |
Yates 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 Yates is British & Irish, which comprises 56.8% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (22.3%) and Eastern European (3.6%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Nigerian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 56.8% |
| French & German | 22.3% |
| Eastern European | 3.6% |
| Other | 17.3% |
Possible origins of the surname Yates
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 Yates have recent ancestry locations all within United Kingdom.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 87.00% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 87.00% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 86.90% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 86.70% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 86.70% |
What Yates 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 Yates 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-Y3141 and I-Z58, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Thompson, Smith, White, Fox, Green, Taylor, Edwards, Brown, Harrison, Cook.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Yates 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 Yates 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.
"Yates" Surname 40.0%
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.
"Yates" Surname 29.6%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Yates" Surname 23.8%
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.
"Yates" Surname 18.5%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Yates?
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 Yates are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition