NameCensus.

UK surname

Mates

A surname derived from the Greek word "matis" meaning "companion" or "mate".

In the 1881 census there were 144 people recorded with the Mates surname, ranking it #15,891 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 212, ranked #18,843, down from #15,891 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Angmering, Poling, Rustington, East Preston, Broadwater (incl. Worthing), Nuthurst and Chirk. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall, Wealden and Wrexham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mates is 241 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 47.2%.

1881 census count

144

Ranked #15,891

Modern count

212

2016, ranked #18,843

Peak year

2002

241 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mates had 144 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,891 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 212 in 2016, ranked #18,843.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 222 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Mates surname distribution map

The map shows where the Mates surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Mates surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mates over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 101 #17,036
1861 historical 175 #13,409
1881 historical 144 #15,891
1891 historical 203 #14,754
1901 historical 153 #17,844
1911 historical 222 #13,992
1997 modern 211 #17,048
1998 modern 221 #17,021
1999 modern 235 #16,458
2000 modern 236 #16,380
2001 modern 238 #16,004
2002 modern 241 #16,243
2003 modern 228 #16,663
2004 modern 233 #16,471
2005 modern 229 #16,631
2006 modern 229 #16,748
2007 modern 238 #16,505
2008 modern 238 #16,640
2009 modern 238 #17,002
2010 modern 235 #17,477
2011 modern 225 #17,841
2012 modern 221 #17,979
2013 modern 225 #18,027
2014 modern 222 #18,355
2015 modern 212 #18,842
2016 modern 212 #18,843

Geography

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Where Mates' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Angmering, Poling, Rustington, East Preston, Broadwater (incl. Worthing), Nuthurst, Chirk and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall, Wealden, Wrexham, Caerphilly and Northumberland. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Angmering, Poling, Rustington, East Preston Sussex
2 Broadwater (incl. Worthing), Nuthurst Sussex
3 Chirk Shropshire
4 London parishes London 1
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 058 Cornwall
2 Wealden 009 Wealden
3 Wrexham 017 Wrexham
4 Caerphilly 011 Caerphilly
5 Northumberland 015 Northumberland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mates

These lists show first names that appear often with the Mates surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mates

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Mates, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Mates surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Mates household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Mates is most associated with areas classed as Settled Semi-Detached Asians, part of Suburban Asian Communities. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These residents share Supergroup characteristics of large (non-Chinese) Asian populations but those identifying as Bangladeshi are notably absent. Many residents were born in the UK, while other more recent migrants have African birthplaces. Semi-detached housing, much of it owner occupied, prevails in these suburban residential locations.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mates is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mates falls in decile 4 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mates is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Mates, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Mates

The surname MATES is of English origin, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "mæt," meaning "companion" or "mate." This suggests that the name may have been given as a nickname or occupation descriptor to someone who was a close companion or friend.

In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, there is a record of a Roger Mate living in Oxfordshire. The earliest known spelling variation was "Mate," which appeared in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327. Other early spellings include "Maat" and "Maate."

The name MATES is also found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is recorded as a place name in Hertfordshire. This place name may have influenced the surname or vice versa, as it was common for people to take surnames based on the places they lived or came from.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname MATES was John Mates, born around 1450 in Somerset, England. Another notable figure was William Mates, a merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Drapers in London, who lived from 1525 to 1588.

In the 17th century, Thomas Mates (1597-1665) was a prominent English clergyman and writer who served as the Rector of Middleton Stoney in Oxfordshire. A contemporary of his was John Mates (1605-1668), a merchant and alderman in the City of London.

During the 18th century, Sir John Mates (1726-1804) was a British naval officer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Rochester from 1774 to 1790. He played a role in the American Revolutionary War and the Battle of Yorktown.

While the surname MATES is not as common as some other English surnames, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and can be traced back to the earliest records of English naming practices.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mates families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mates surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 27 Mates' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.87x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 27 1.87x
Lancashire 17 0.99x
Denbighshire 16 29.34x
Cheshire 14 4.39x
Surrey 12 1.71x
Glamorgan 10 3.98x
Sussex 10 4.11x
Kent 8 1.62x
Northumberland 7 3.26x
Durham 6 1.40x
Warwickshire 6 1.65x
Isle of Man 4 14.92x
Yorkshire 4 0.28x
Cumberland 3 2.41x
Hampshire 2 0.68x
Dorset 1 1.06x
Shropshire 1 0.80x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Chirk in Denbighshire leads with 16 Mates' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1495.33x.

Place Total Index
Chirk 16 1495.33x
Kirkdale 11 38.18x
Llantrisant 10 157.98x
St Martin In Fields 8 92.59x
Broadwater 7 125.45x
Liscard 7 121.95x
Altrincham 6 107.72x
Croydon 6 15.37x
East Denton 6 1224.49x
Liverpool 6 5.77x
Stockton On Tees 6 28.99x
Merton 5 406.50x
Rochester St Nicholas 5 326.80x
Stoke 5 694.44x
Braddan 4 273.97x
Norton In Malton 4 231.21x
Ratcliffe London 4 50.19x
St George Hanover 4 21.23x
Bethnal Green London 3 4.78x
Cleator 3 58.03x
St Marylebone London 3 3.89x
Hunston 2 2000.00x
Norwood 2 60.61x
Portsea 2 3.45x
St Pancras London 2 1.72x
Bermondsey 1 2.33x
Birmingham 1 0.82x
Canterbury St George 1 169.49x
Cheriton 1 49.75x
Elswick 1 5.83x
Ince 1 588.24x
Littlehampton 1 51.55x
St Botolph Aldersgate 1 60.24x
St Martin 1 71.94x
Tenterden 1 57.47x
Wimborne 1 86.96x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Mates surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Elizabeth 10
Mary 9
Sarah 5
Ann 4
Jane 4
Catherine 3
Eliza 3
Deborah 2
Ellen 2
Esther 2
Hannah 2
Maria 2
Martha 2
Ada 1
Amy 1
Anne 1
Elizth.B. 1
Elizth.N. 1
Emily 1
Florence 1
Florrie 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
Louisa 1
Margaret 1
Nelly 1
Pleasant 1
Rachel 1
Roseann 1
Rosina 1
Selina 1
Susan 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Mates surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Thomas 11
John 10
William 8
James 6
Charles 5
Edward 4
Arthur 3
George 3
Henry 3
Joseph 3
Frederick 2
Seth 2
Wm. 2
Andrew 1
Benjamin 1
Daniel 1
Edwd. 1
Edwin 1
Evan 1
Francis 1
Herbert 1
Hugh 1
Ivan 1
Levi 1
Matthew 1
Patrick 1
Peter 1
Richard 1
Thoms. 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Mates surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mates surname in 1881?

In 1881, 144 people were recorded with the Mates surname. That placed it at #15,891 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mates surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 212 in 2016. That gives Mates a modern rank of #18,843.

What does the Mates surname mean?

A surname derived from the Greek word "matis" meaning "companion" or "mate".

What does the Mates map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Mates bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.