Bates
An old English surname that usually means “son of Bat(e),” a short form of Bartholomew.
The #325 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 3,229 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Bates is generally treated as a patronymic surname from the medieval nickname Bat or Bate, itself a short form of Bartholomew. In that tradition, the name ultimately goes back to the Hebrew Bar-Talmay, meaning “son of Talmay,” though the surname itself reached English through the Christian given name Bartholomew. The final -s marks descent or association, so Bates means essentially “son of Bate.”
History
The name is well established in England by the Middle Ages and appears in records in several spelling forms, including Bate, Bates, Batts, and Bateson. It spread widely in English-speaking countries, especially through British migration to North America. Today it remains a common surname in the United States and Britain.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Nineteenth-century surname writers routinely grouped Bates with a whole family of names descended from Bartholomew, including Batty, Batson, and Bateson.
From the historical record
“(U.S.). 70, a Bate, Bates, Bateson.— Bapt *the son of Bartholomew,* from the nick. Bate. The form Bathe below will mark the step by which Bate was reached.”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (alternate scan)