Show ContentsBlate History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Blate

What does the name Blate mean?

The roots of the distinguished surname Blate lie in Germany, and chronicles claim two different origins for this name. Some sources suggest the origin is found in the mediaeval German word for the maker of breast plates for armor. Other sources claim the name stems from the German word for "plateau."

Early Origins of the Blate family

The surname Blate was first found in Brandenburg, where the name was an integral part of a feudal society which would shape modern European history. Many prominent branches of the family would strive to make this name renowned as they contributed to the social, economic and political affairs of the region. One of the earliest known bearers of this name was the knight Otto cum Plata ("breast plate",) who lived at Ruegen around 1255.

Platten is an Ortsgemeinde (municipality) in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany that dates back to at least 1084 when it was first listed as "villa Platana."

Early History of the Blate family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Blate research. Another 277 words (20 lines of text) covering the years 1190, 1536, 1563, 1565, 1574, 1604, 1614, 1628, 1669, 1796 and 1835 are included under the topic Early Blate History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Blate Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Plath, Plathe, Plather, Plate, Plat, Plater, Platt, Platter, Platten, Platen, Platener, Platner, Plattener, Pletener, Plettener, Plaettner, Plaetner, Plaeth, Plathner, Plett, Pletter, Pletten, Pleten, Pleter, Plettner, Blate, Blatte, Blatten, Blath and many more.

Early Notables of the Blate family

Notable figures of the time with the name Blate were Thomas Platter, who was a prominent humanist from Basel. He began as an Alpine goatherder, then journeyed through Germany on foot and became a printer...
Another 35 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Blate Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Blate migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Blate Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • John Blate, who landed in Virginia in 1663 1
Blate Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • J. Blate, who arrived in San Francisco in 1850
  • A. J. Blate, who arrived in San Francisco in 1850


  1. 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)


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