NameCensus.

UK surname

Spate

A surname referring to a heavy rainfall or flood.

In the 1881 census there were 73 people recorded with the Spate surname, ranking it #23,220 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 161, ranked #22,606, up from #23,220 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Sedgley and Eastwood. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ashfield, Mansfield and North East Lincolnshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Spate is 174 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 120.5%.

1881 census count

73

Ranked #23,220

Modern count

161

2016, ranked #22,606

Peak year

2011

174 bearers

Map years

4

1911 to 2016

Key insights

  • Spate had 73 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,220 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 161 in 2016, ranked #22,606.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 134 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Spate surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Spate surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Spate 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 12 #31,134
1861 historical 42 #28,691
1881 historical 73 #23,220
1891 historical 72 #27,804
1901 historical 96 #23,342
1911 historical 134 #19,131
1997 modern 153 #20,868
1998 modern 163 #20,582
1999 modern 161 #20,868
2000 modern 162 #20,735
2001 modern 160 #20,616
2002 modern 164 #20,687
2003 modern 162 #20,624
2004 modern 167 #20,367
2005 modern 172 #19,908
2006 modern 162 #20,886
2007 modern 157 #21,546
2008 modern 161 #21,431
2009 modern 158 #22,168
2010 modern 169 #21,652
2011 modern 174 #21,096
2012 modern 163 #21,989
2013 modern 159 #22,706
2014 modern 163 #22,547
2015 modern 160 #22,701
2016 modern 161 #22,606

Geography

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Where Spates are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Sedgley, Eastwood, Wednesbury and Stoke-on-Trent, Bucknell-cum-Bagnall, Caverswall. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Ashfield, Mansfield, North East Lincolnshire and Rochdale. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Sedgley Staffordshire
3 Eastwood Nottinghamshire
4 Wednesbury Staffordshire
5 Stoke-on-Trent, Bucknell-cum-Bagnall, Caverswall Staffordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ashfield 008 Ashfield
2 Mansfield 003 Mansfield
3 North East Lincolnshire 011 North East Lincolnshire
4 Rochdale 005 Rochdale
5 Ashfield 007 Ashfield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Spate

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Spate

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Spate, 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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Spate surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Spate household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Spate is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Spate is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Spate falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Spate is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Spate

The surname Spate is believed to have originated in Germany, with the earliest records dating back to the 15th century. It is derived from the Old German word "spate," which means late or tardy. This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname given to someone who was often late or tardy.

In the 16th century, the name appears in several German church records and legal documents. One notable mention is in the 1562 registry of the town of Nuremberg, where a Johannes Spate is listed as a resident. Another early record is from 1578, where a Hansz Spate is mentioned in the court proceedings of the city of Cologne.

The name is also found in the Netherlands, where it is believed to have been introduced by German settlers. One of the earliest recorded instances is in the 1624 baptismal records of the Dutch Reformed Church in Amsterdam, where a child named Pieter Spate was baptized.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the name Spate began to spread across Europe as people migrated and settled in different regions. In England, the earliest recorded instance is in the 1678 parish records of St. Mary's Church in Islington, where a marriage between William Spate and Elizabeth Hawkins is documented.

Notable individuals with the surname Spate include:

1. Friedrich Spate (1853-1926), a German philosopher and educator known for his work on ethics and moral philosophy. 2. Oskar Spate (1911-2000), an Australian geographer and academic who made significant contributions to the study of Pacific Islands geography. 3. Virginia Spate (1937-2022), an Australian historian and biographer known for her works on the British Empire and Australian literature. 4. Hans-Hermann Spate (1914-1995), a German-born Australian geographer who specialized in the study of the Pacific region. 5. Günter Spate (1925-2013), a German-born Australian artist and sculptor known for his abstract and minimalist works.

While the surname Spate is not among the most common surnames globally, it has a rich history and can be traced back to its Germanic roots in the late medieval period.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Spate families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Spate 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. Staffordshire leads with 60 Spates recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.97x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 60 24.97x
Nottinghamshire 6 6.25x
Yorkshire 4 0.57x
Derbyshire 1 0.90x
Middlesex 1 0.14x
Worcestershire 1 1.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wednesbury in Staffordshire leads with 13 Spates recorded in 1881 and an index of 216.31x.

Place Total Index
Wednesbury 13 216.31x
Sedgley 10 111.98x
Willenhall 10 222.22x
Stoke Upon Trent 9 35.32x
Bilston 8 171.67x
Eastwood 6 697.67x
Newcastle Under Lyme 4 94.12x
West Bromwich 4 29.07x
Hunslet 3 27.27x
Wednesfield 2 56.50x
Dudley 1 8.85x
Sandal Magna 1 96.15x
Stoke Newington London 1 18.02x
Whittington 1 64.94x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 12
Joseph 6
John 5
Thomas 5
James 3
Samuel 3
Albert 2
Charles 2
George 2
Job 1
Samson 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Spate households.

FAQ

Spate surname: questions and answers

How common was the Spate surname in 1881?

In 1881, 73 people were recorded with the Spate surname. That placed it at #23,220 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Spate surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 161 in 2016. That gives Spate a modern rank of #22,606.

What does the Spate surname mean?

A surname referring to a heavy rainfall or flood.

What does the Spate map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Spate 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.