Bates History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Bates

What does the name Bates mean?

The name Bates originated with the Anglo-Saxon tribes that once ruled Britain. It is derived from the given name Bartholomew, of which it is a diminutive form. 1 2 3

Early Origins of the Bates family

The surname Bates was first found in Yorkshire, where they held a family seat from ancient times, long before the Norman Conquest in 1066. One of the first notables of the family was Henry Bate or Hendrik Baten (of Mechelen or of Malines) (1246- c.1310) a Flemish philosopher, theologian, astronomer, astrologer, poet, and musician.

The more common plural version of today, "Bates" is rather recent. Frequently used in the singular form as both a forename and surname, the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included the following, all in Lincolnshire: Bate de Butwick; Bate le Tackman; and Bathe filius Robert. Further to the north in Yorkshire, the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed: Alicia Bate; and Adam Bate. 4

Again in Yorkshire, we found two entries for the name Bate (no first name), one in 1275 and the other in 1286. 5

Other early rolls note Rogerus filius Bate in the Subsidy Rolls for Derbyshire in 1327; Roger Bate in the Subsidy Rolls for Worcestershire in 1275; and Richard Bates in Yorkshire in 1297. Thomas del Bate was found in Northumberland in 1270 and William of Ye Bate in the Subsidy Rolls for Yorkshire in 1297. For these last two entires, the name may be derived from the Northern Middle English word "bat," meaning "boat," used for a boatman. 5

"This surname has two principal centres, one in the counties of Leicester, Rutland, and Warwick, and the other in Kent. Prom these centres it has extended to the adjoining counties; but it is essentially a midland and eastern county name. In other parts of England its place is supplied by other forms of the name, or by other derivatives of Bartholomew. Thus, in Cornwall we find Bate, in Dorset and adjacent counties we have numbers of Bartletts, in Yorkshire Batty, in Northumberland Batey, in Oxon Batts, in Notts Bartle, etc. The original name of Bartholomew is now mostly found in the counties of Kent and Lincoln; but in its numerous derivative forms it is scattered over the land." 6

Early History of the Bates family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bates research. Another 119 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1415, 1429, 1580, 1599, 1608, 1620, 1625, 1626, 1668, 1682, 1699, 1700, 1877 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Bates History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bates Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Bates has appeared include Bates, Batts, Bats, Bate, Bateson, Baits, Baites, Baytes and many more.

Early Notables of the Bates family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

William Bates (1625-1699) was an English Presbyterian minister from London, Royal Chaplain to Charles II; and George Bate (1608-1668), was an English court physician. Born at Maids Morton, Buckinghams...
Thomas Bateson (1580?-1620?), was an early English musical composer, one of the greatest of the Elizabethan madrigal composers. "The first fact that can be ascertained with certainty concerning him is...

Bates World Ranking

In the United States, the name Bates is the 295^th most popular surname with an estimated 92,019 people with that name. 7 However, in Canada, the name Bates is ranked the 753^rd most popular surname with an estimated 7,095 people with that name. 8 And in Australia, the name Bates is the 315^th popular surname with an estimated 11,241 people with that name. 9 New Zealand ranks Bates as 327^th with 1,908 people. 10 The United Kingdom ranks Bates as 193^rd with 29,168 people. 11

Migration of the Bates family to Ireland

Some of the Bates family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 111 words (8 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bates migration to the United States +

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Bates arrived in North America very early:

Bates Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Bates, aged 24, who landed in Virginia in 1623 aboard the ship "Southampton" 12
Michael Bates, who arrived in Virginia in 1623 12
Robert Bates, who arrived in Massachusetts in 1630 12
Edward Bates, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1633 12
Benjamin Bates, aged 2, who arrived in New England aboard the ship "Elizabeth" in 1635 12
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bates Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Judith Bates, who landed in Virginia in 1704 12
That Bates, who arrived in Virginia in 1714 12
Nicholas Bates, who landed in Connecticut in 1741 12
Johannes Bates, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1754 12
John Bates, who arrived in America in 1767 12
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bates Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Barnabas Bates, who arrived in America in 1801 12
James T Bates, aged 47, who landed in Vermont in 1812 12
Thomas Bates, who landed in Baltimore, Maryland in 1818 12
Mr. Bates, who arrived in Mobile, Ala in 1821 12
Peter Bates, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1832 12
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bates Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Charles Bates, who arrived in Wisconsin in 1916 12

Bates migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Bates Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Walter Bates, who arrived in New Brunswick in 1783
Corporal Alexander Bates U.E. (b. 1745) who settled in Lower Southampton, York County, New Brunswick on Block 5 and Block 45 (map 125) 220 acres c. 1783 he served in the Queen's Rangers Regiment, married to Sarah they had 7 children, he died in 1815 13
Sgt. Samuel Bates U.E. who settled in Southampton, York County, New Brunswick c. 1783 he served as part of the Queen's Rangers Regiment 13
Mr. Walter Bates U.E. born in Stanford, Connecticut, USA from Stanford, Connecticut, USA who settled in Kennebecasis [Rothesay], Kings County, New Brunswick c. 1783 he was a shoemaker in Connecticut, he was a passenger on the Union Transport from New York to Saint John, New Brunswick 13
Sgt. William Bates U.E. who settled in Trafalgar Township [Oakville], Regional Municipality of Halton County, Ontario c. 1783 he served in the Queen's Rangers Regiment, married to Phoebe they had 5 children, he is listed as being in charge of the Kings's Head Inn on Burlington Beach in 1800 13

Bates Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Eleanor Bates, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1816
Thomas Bates, was a planter of Twillingate, Newfoundland in 1820
Thomas Bates, from Clonmell, Tipperary, was married in St. John's, Newfoundland in 1821 14
William Bates, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1829
David Bates, aged 30, a schoolmaster, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Edward Reid" in 1833
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bates migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Bates Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Miss Mary Bates, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Canada" in March 1810, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 15
Mr. Edward Fielder Bates, English convict who was convicted in Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Baring" in April 1815, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 16
John Bates, English convict from Cambridge, who was transported aboard the "Asia" on September 3rd, 1820, settling in New South Wales, Australia 17
William Bates, English convict from Chester, who was transported aboard the "Asia" on September 3rd, 1820, settling in New South Wales, Australia 17
Mr. John Bates, English convict who was convicted in Stafford, Staffordshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Caledonia" in 19th June 1822, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 18
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bates migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Bates Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Bates, Australian settler travelling from Sydney aboard the ship "Earl Durham" arriving in New Zealand in 1837 19
John Bates, who landed in Onehunga, Auckland, New Zealand in 1840
Mr. John Bates, British settler arriving as the 1st detachment of Royal New Zealand Fencible Corps travelling from Tilbury, Essex aboard the ship "Ramillies" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 6th August 1847 20
Mr. William Bates, British settler as part of the 8th Detachment of the Royal New Zealand Fencibles travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Oriental Queen" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 18th September 1849 20
Mrs. Harriet Bates née Whitley, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Oriental Queen" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 18th September 1849 20
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bates migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 21

Bates Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Robert Bates who settled in Barbados in 1669
Richard Bates, who arrived in Barbados in 1679 12

Contemporary Notables of the name Bates (post 1700) +

Rosalind Goodrich Bates (1894-1961), American lawyer, clubwoman and trial attorney who practiced international law, founder and president of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA)
Harry Bates (1927-2022), American architect who designed modernist houses on Fire Island and in the Hamptons
Evan Bates (b. 1989), American silver medalist ice dancer at the 2022 Winter Olympics, three-time U.S. national champion (2015, 2020, 2022)
Henry Clay Bates (1843-1909), American Republican politician, Caledonia County State's Attorney, 1880-82, 1892-94; Member of Vermont State Senate from Caledonia County, 1886-88; Member of Vermont State House of Representatives, 1896-97; Lieutenant Governor of Vermont, 1898-1900
William W. Bates, American politician, Mayor of Sidney, New York, 1947
William S. Bates, American politician, Delegate to Ohio State Constitutional Convention from Jefferson County, 1850-51
William Maffitt Bates, American Republican politician, Member of Missouri State Senate 32nd District, 1927-34
William L. Bates, American politician, Member of University of Nebraska Board of Regents, 1921-27
William Henry Bates (1917-1969), American Republican politician, Served in the U.S. Navy during World War II; U.S. Representative from Massachusetts 6th District, 1950-69; Died in office 1969
William C. Bates (1898-1973), American Republican politician, Member of Indiana State Senate, 1943-44; Chair of Floyd County Republican Party, 1944
... (Another 148 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Bates family +

Bismarck

Georg Bates (1902-1941), German Matrose who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 22

Halifax Explosion

Mrs. Nora Bates (1894-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 23

HMS Hood

Mr. Reginald S Bates (b. 1916), English Wireman serving for the Royal Navy from Rushden, Northampton, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 24
Mr. Leonard A Bates (b. 1909), English Marine serving for the Royal Marine from South Kirkby, Yorkshire, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 24
Mr. Frederick G Bates (b. 1912), English Leading Seaman serving for the Royal Navy from Eastbourne, Sussex, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 24

RMS Lusitania

Master George Bates, English Steward's Young Assistant from Seaforth, Lancashire, England, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 25
Mr. Lindon Wallace Bates Jr., American 1st Class Passenger from New York, New York, USA, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking and was recovered 25

USS Arizona

Mr. Robert Alvin Bates, American Pharmacist's Mate Third Class from Texas, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking 26
Mr. Edward Munroe Bates Jr., American Ensign from New York, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking 26

Vimy Ridge

Frank Harris Bates (1887-1917), Canadian farmer, Private in the 44th Battalion from Manitoba who died at Vimy Ridge May 1917

The Bates Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Et manu et corde
Motto Translation: Both with hand and heart.

Citations +

Dixon, Bernard Homer, Surnames. London: John Wilson and son, 1857. Print
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/canada
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/baring
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Asia 1 voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1820 with 192 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1820
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/caledonia
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
Bismarck & Tirpitz Class - Crew List Bismarck. (Retrieved 2018, February 06). Retrieved from https://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/crew/bismarck_crew.html#crew_details
Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance
H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/
Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html