Skip to content
NomezoNomezo

Boy name · Old English

Tate

Name meaning, origin and popularity

: from a surname derived from Old English Tata, probably happy

Tate is a boy's name that is of Old English origin: from a surname derived from Old English Tata, probably happy. It is used in English.

Meaning
From a surname derived from Old English Tata, probably happy
Origin
Old English
Gender
Boy
US rank
#194 in 2025

Meaning and origin of Tate

As a boy's name, Tate is of Old English origin: from a surname derived from Old English Tata, probably happy. It is used in English.

Tate is also a surname: the 479th most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 68,390 people. See the most common last names.

Meaning checked against Behind the Name. How we research names

How popular is Tate?

US rank in 2025
#194
1,862 babies, 1,090 per million boys
Best rank
#194 in 2025
1,862 babies that year
Babies since 1912
At least 27,400
Years with under 5 are not listed
1880s1900s1920s1940s1960s1980s2000s2020s
Babies per million US boys, by decade (the 2020s so far, to 2025). Highest in the 2020s, at 858 per million.
Babies named Tate per million US boys, by decade; highest in the 2020s
1880s0 per million
1890s0 per million
1900s0 per million
1910s8 per million
1920s5 per million
1930s2 per million
1940s3 per million
1950s2 per million
1960s15 per million
1970s49 per million
1980s35 per million
1990s142 per million
2000s324 per million
2010s388 per million
2020s858 per million
US rank by year
Year2016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Rank#448#450#494#438#353#304#234#197#210#194

Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.

Names spelled like Tate

One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.

  • TaeoGreat enlightenment (depends on hanja) (Korean, boy)
  • TahaThe letters ta and ha, opening Quran chapter 20 (Arabic, boy)
  • TalDew, morning dew (Hebrew, unisex)
  • TamA twin (Aramaic, boy)
  • TamerDate (fruit) (Arabic, boy)
  • TanoFrom Gaeta (Latin, boy)
  • TaoGreat waves (depends on characters) (Chinese, boy)
  • TaroBig son; eldest son (Japanese, boy)
  • TatumTata's homestead (Old English, unisex)

Names with a similar meaning

  • ElenaForm of Helen, probably from Greek torch (Greek, girl)
  • FelixLucky, happy (Latin, boy)
  • LilianaLatinate form of Lillian, probably from Elizabeth or Lily (English, girl)
  • AaronProbably Egyptian, meaning unknown; Hebrew theories say exalted (Hebrew, boy)
  • FridaPeace; in Old Norse, beloved (Germanic and Old Norse, girl)
  • AldoOld (Germanic, boy)
  • AsherHappy, blessed (Hebrew, boy)
  • BruceProbably from Brix in Normandy (French, boy)
  • DeclanMeaning unknown, though likely begins with Old Irish dag, good (Irish Gaelic, boy)
  • EvelynFrom a surname derived from the given name Aveline (English, girl)
  • FeliciaLucky, happy (Latin, girl)
  • GrahamFrom a surname from the place name Grantham, probably gravelly homestead (Old English, boy)
  • JacksonFrom a surname meaning son of Jack (English, boy)
  • JustinFrom Latin Iustinus, derived from Justus, just (Latin, boy)
  • KennedyFrom an Irish surname, from Cennétig, armoured or misshapen head (Irish Gaelic, girl)

Middle names for Tate

Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.

  • AlistairDefender of men (Greek, boy)
  • AugustusGreat, venerable (Latin, boy)
  • ConradBold counsel (Germanic, boy)
  • CyprianFrom Cyprus (Latin, boy)
  • LucianLight (Latin, boy)
  • QuentinFifth (Latin, boy)
  • SamuelName of God (Hebrew, boy)
  • ZachariahYahweh remembers (Hebrew, boy)

More boy names from Old English

  • EdgarWealthy spear (Old English, boy)
  • AlfredElf counsel (Old English, boy)
  • EduardRich guardian (Old English, boy)
  • StormTempest (Old English, unisex)
  • AlfredoElf counsel (Old English, boy)
  • EduardoRich guardian (Old English, boy)
  • HarperHarp player (Old English, unisex)
  • KnoxRound hill (Old English, boy)
  • LindenLime tree (Old English, unisex)
  • LindsayLincoln island (Old English, unisex)
  • OsmundGod protector (Old English, boy)
  • OswaldPower of a god (Old English, boy)
  • ReidRed-haired (Old English, boy)
  • RutherfordCattle ford (Old English, boy)
  • StewartSteward (Old English, boy)
  • SundayDay of the sun (Old English, unisex)
  • AelfricElf ruler (Old English, boy)
  • ÆlfricElf ruler (Old English, boy)

Tate: common questions

What does the name Tate mean?

Tate is of Old English origin: from a surname derived from Old English Tata, probably happy. Checked against Behind the Name.

Is Tate a boy or girl name?

Tate is mainly a boy's name. In 2025, 160 girls and 1,862 boys in the US were named Tate, according to Social Security Administration data.

Where does the name Tate come from?

Tate is of Old English origin: from a surname derived from Old English Tata, probably happy. Today it is used in English.

How popular is the name Tate?

Tate ranked #194 in the US in 2025, with 1,862 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

What names are similar to Tate?

Names spelled like Tate include Taeo, Taha, Tal, Tam and Tamer.

What middle names go with Tate?

Middle names that flow well with Tate include Alistair, Augustus, Conrad, Cyprian and Lucian. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.