NameCensus.

UK surname

Yeates

An English habitational surname derived from a place name referring to a gate or entrance.

In the 1881 census there were 1,659 people recorded with the Yeates surname, ranking it #2,588 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,315, ranked #2,813, down from #2,588 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Monmouth and Worcester St John Bedwardine, Kenswick. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wiltshire, Swindon and South Oxfordshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Yeates is 2,406 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 39.5%.

1881 census count

1,659

Ranked #2,588

Modern count

2,315

2016, ranked #2,813

Peak year

2010

2,406 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Yeates had 1,659 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,588 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,315 in 2016, ranked #2,813.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,176 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Yeates surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Yeates surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Yeates 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 1,331 #2,157
1861 historical 1,177 #2,405
1881 historical 1,659 #2,588
1891 historical 1,803 #2,546
1901 historical 2,011 #2,654
1911 historical 2,176 #2,313
1997 modern 2,274 #2,731
1998 modern 2,389 #2,712
1999 modern 2,389 #2,731
2000 modern 2,356 #2,751
2001 modern 2,303 #2,752
2002 modern 2,341 #2,774
2003 modern 2,278 #2,777
2004 modern 2,294 #2,757
2005 modern 2,285 #2,736
2006 modern 2,295 #2,728
2007 modern 2,299 #2,747
2008 modern 2,301 #2,768
2009 modern 2,356 #2,775
2010 modern 2,406 #2,779
2011 modern 2,378 #2,779
2012 modern 2,306 #2,802
2013 modern 2,340 #2,814
2014 modern 2,361 #2,800
2015 modern 2,333 #2,808
2016 modern 2,315 #2,813

Geography

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Where Yeates' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Monmouth, Worcester St John Bedwardine, Kenswick 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 Wiltshire, Swindon, South Oxfordshire, Forest of Dean and Tewkesbury. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Monmouth Monmouthshire
3 Worcester St John Bedwardine, Kenswick Worcestershire
4 London parishes London 1
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wiltshire 024 Wiltshire
2 Swindon 009 Swindon
3 South Oxfordshire 002 South Oxfordshire
4 Forest of Dean 009 Forest of Dean
5 Tewkesbury 007 Tewkesbury

Forenames

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First names often paired with Yeates

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Yeates

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Yeates, 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 Yeates surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Yeates 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Yeates is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Yeates is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Yeates falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Yeates is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Yeates

The surname Yeates has its origins in England, particularly during the medieval period. The name is derived from the Middle English word "yate", which means "gate". This in turn comes from the Old English word "geat" of the same meaning. Hence, the Yeates surname would have initially been a topographical name for someone who lived by a gate, or possibly an occupational name for a gatekeeper.

This surname first appeared in records dating back to the 12th century. One of the earliest recorded examples of the name is found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1166, listing Eustace del Yate. This indicates that the name was in use and associated with recognizable individuals by that time.

In 1275, an Adam del Yate was recorded in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, depicting the continuing presence and usage of the surname in this area. Another early reference can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where a Ralph atte Yate is documented, further illustrating the geographical spread and social prominence of those bearing the name.

Through the centuries, various spellings of the surname have been noted, including Yates and Yetts. This is typical of many surnames from medieval times, as spelling was not standardized and often depended on the phonetic rendering by scribes and officials. One prominent bearer of the surname was George Yeates, a merchant who lived in London in the 16th century.

Famous individuals with the surname Yeates include Thomas Yeates, an English painter and art dealer born in 1768 and known for his contributions to the arts. Another notable figure is William Yeates Hurlstone, an English composer born in 1876 who made significant contributions to chamber music before his untimely death in 1906.

The surname also crossed geographic boundaries, appearing in Irish records. For instance, Abraham Yeates, who settled in County Waterford during the early 17th century, shows the spread of the surname beyond its English roots.

Additional notable individuals include John Butler Yeats, an Irish artist born in 1839, and the father of the famous poet W.B. Yeats. George Yeates, an Australian politician born in 1884, further represents the international dispersion of the surname and its bearers' influence in various global contexts.

The surname Yeates, with its variations and extensive history, holds a significant place among English and Irish surnames, illustrating the evolution of surnames from practical origins to identifiers of social and familial heritage.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Yeates families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Yeates 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. Wiltshire leads with 189 Yeates' recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.25x.

County Total Index
Wiltshire 189 13.25x
Gloucestershire 149 4.71x
Hampshire 135 4.08x
Surrey 129 1.64x
Worcestershire 111 5.27x
Sussex 110 4.05x
Middlesex 95 0.59x
Yorkshire 92 0.58x
Somerset 82 3.16x
Monmouthshire 61 5.23x
Kent 52 0.95x
Dorset 47 4.44x
Lancashire 46 0.24x
Oxfordshire 46 4.62x
Cumberland 37 2.67x
Warwickshire 37 0.91x
Berkshire 34 2.81x
Durham 28 0.58x
Buckinghamshire 20 2.05x
Cornwall 18 0.99x
Devon 16 0.48x
Herefordshire 15 2.27x
Staffordshire 14 0.26x
Westmorland 12 3.39x
Aberdeenshire 10 0.67x
Essex 10 0.31x
Stirlingshire 10 1.68x
Lincolnshire 6 0.23x
Derbyshire 4 0.16x
Glamorgan 4 0.14x
Midlothian 4 0.19x
East Lothian 3 1.40x
Fife 3 0.31x
Hertfordshire 3 0.27x
Lanarkshire 3 0.06x
Northumberland 3 0.13x
Royal Navy 3 1.56x
Cheshire 2 0.06x
Northamptonshire 2 0.13x
Shropshire 2 0.14x
Argyllshire 1 0.22x
Buteshire 1 1.02x
Leicestershire 1 0.06x
Morayshire 1 0.40x
Norfolk 1 0.04x
Renfrewshire 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Brighton in Sussex leads with 59 Yeates' recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.76x.

Place Total Index
Brighton 59 10.76x
Monmouth 43 139.11x
Worcester St Peter 35 87.81x
Camberwell 31 3.01x
Cheltenham 27 11.07x
Sutton Mandeville 26 2031.25x
Ryde 25 35.21x
Garsington 24 712.17x
Battersea 23 3.88x
Stratton St Margaret 21 96.02x
Birmingham 20 1.48x
South Bersted 20 86.51x
Worcester St Clement 18 134.43x
Dundry 17 544.87x
Toller Porcorum 17 691.06x
Newington 16 2.69x
Andover 15 48.05x
Aston 15 1.34x
Lambeth 15 1.07x
Churchdown 14 222.58x
Cudham 14 248.23x
Frome 14 22.55x
Winterslow 14 292.28x
Elmstone Hardwick 13 742.86x
Alston 12 46.91x
Kensington London 12 1.34x
Penrith 12 23.40x
Barrow Gurney 11 650.89x
Bristol St James In 11 23.65x
Eston 11 31.61x
Hackney London 11 1.22x
Salisbury St Edmund 11 48.06x
South Stoneham 11 15.34x
Gateshead 10 2.78x
Alva 9 31.72x
Barrow In Furness 9 3.46x
Chilmark 9 294.12x
Heston 9 16.81x
Lanivet 9 158.17x
Middlesbrough 9 4.33x
South Hayling 9 153.06x
St Marylebone London 9 1.05x
Stoke Mandeville 9 328.47x
Wivelsfield 9 84.67x
Aberystruth 8 7.79x
Bishopstrow 8 592.59x
Eling 8 23.89x
Freshwater 8 52.98x
Holmer 8 67.17x
Hook 8 941.18x
Orpington 8 47.48x
Swindon 8 7.23x
West Derby 8 1.43x
Basingstoke 7 18.42x
Bermondsey 7 1.46x
Chepstow 7 35.26x
Chew Stoke 7 182.29x
Cleckheaton 7 11.89x
Darlington 7 3.78x
East Budleigh 7 44.28x
Elmbridge 7 376.34x
Romsey Infra 7 62.50x
West Bromwich 7 2.25x
West Cholderton 7 769.23x
Wylye 7 257.35x
Barwick 6 229.89x
Bexley 6 12.34x
Claines 6 10.38x
Croydon 6 1.38x
East Peckham 6 52.49x
Liddington 6 260.87x
Maiden Newton 6 135.44x
Mickleton 6 144.23x
Milford 6 78.53x
Southampton St Mary 6 2.89x
St George Hanover 6 2.85x
Stanton St Bernard 6 320.86x
Walthamstow 6 5.24x
Worcester All Sts 6 49.18x
Worcester St Martin 6 21.12x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 108
Elizabeth 76
Sarah 68
Jane 45
Emma 33
Alice 31
Eliza 31
Annie 30
Emily 28
Ann 27
Ellen 22
Martha 16
Edith 13
Louisa 13
Caroline 11
Ada 10
Fanny 10
Frances 10
Harriet 10
Charlotte 9
Florence 9
Lucy 9
Agnes 8
Anne 8
Kate 8
Rose 8
Clara 7
Susan 7
Amelia 6
Maria 6
Harriett 5
Matilda 5
Minnie 5
Hannah 4
Isabella 4
Jessie 4
Margaret 4
Rachel 4
Adelaide 3
Amy 3
Esther 3
Ethel 3
Helen 3
Lillian 3
Lily 3
Lizzie 3
Priscilla 3
Rosina 3
Susannah 3
Charlott 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 101
George 88
John 74
Charles 50
Henry 49
Thomas 44
James 39
Alfred 26
Joseph 20
Edward 19
Walter 16
Albert 15
Richard 15
Frank 13
Samuel 13
Arthur 10
Francis 9
Frederick 9
Harry 8
Robert 8
Edwin 7
Herbert 6
Benjamin 5
Sidney 5
Tom 5
Andrew 4
Ernest 4
Jesse 4
Sydney 4
Anthony 3
Daniel 3
David 3
Percy 3
Peter 3
Thos. 3
Chas. 2
Christopher 2
Claude 2
Earnest 2
Edmund 2
Fred 2
Fredrick 2
Horatio 2
Isaac 2
Louis 2
Michael 2
Reuben 2
Wallace 2
Frances 1
Wm.Thompson 1

FAQ

Yeates surname: questions and answers

How common was the Yeates surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,659 people were recorded with the Yeates surname. That placed it at #2,588 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Yeates surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,315 in 2016. That gives Yeates a modern rank of #2,813.

What does the Yeates surname mean?

An English habitational surname derived from a place name referring to a gate or entrance.

What does the Yeates map show?

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