Tate
Tate was the 194th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 1,862 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 226 places. More babies were named Tate in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin uncertain · Old English, Old Norse
Say it TAYT /teɪt/
- Rank in 2025
- #194 boys, up 159 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,862boys
- Girls and boys
- 5% girls, 95% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20251,862 babies
- Total since 1880
- 28,955babies recorded
What does the name Tate mean?
Tate is an English surname from a medieval personal name, Wiktionary explains, partly from Old English Tata, linked with a Germanic word meaning 'cheerful, glad', and partly from the Old Norse name Táta, of unknown meaning. As a given name it is a transferred surname, and Wikipedia describes it as gender-neutral. Tait is a Scottish spelling, and Wiktionary calls Tait a doublet of Tate. Tatum is a separate name.
Tāta (Old English, “personal name”)*taitaz (Proto-Germanic, “cheerful, glad (proposed)”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. Two medieval sources; the 'cheerful' sense is a reconstruction.
Related names: Tait, Tayte.
See also: English names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Tate', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Tate (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Tate popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,379 | #194 | 160 | 1,862 |
| 2020 | #4,157 | #353 | 34 | 898 |
| 2010 | #4,850 | #395 | 30 | 717 |
| 2000 | #2,540 | #436 | 60 | 547 |
| 1990 | #6,440 | #999 | 14 | 112 |
| 1980 | — | #1,175 | — | 61 |
| 1970 | — | #1,131 | — | 54 |
| 1960 | — | #1,520 | — | 29 |
| 1950 | — | — | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — | — | — |
| 1920 | — | #4,233 | — | 6 |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Tate, counting every spelling?
Tate is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #209 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #194 for Tate on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,862 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tate | 1,862 | #194 | 7,997 |
| Tait | — | — | 35 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Tate?
1,862 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Tate (0.52 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Tate born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 5 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Tate.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Tate?
About 26,700 people born in the US named Tate are alive today, with a median age of 13; half are between 4 and 22. That makes Tate mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Tate by state
How common Tate was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Wyoming (5.6×), Iowa (4.4×), South Dakota (4.1×), North Dakota (3.7×), Montana (3.4×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in New Jersey, California, New York.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Tate: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Tate, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Tate · Sibling names for Tate
Tate is also a nickname for Tatum and Taytum.
Questions about the name Tate
What does Tate mean?
The origin of Tate is uncertain: two medieval sources; the 'cheerful' sense is a reconstruction.
How popular is the name Tate?
Tate was the 194th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 1,862 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 226 places. More babies were named Tate in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Tate a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 5% girls, 95% boys given the name Tate in the US.
Where is Tate most popular?
In 2021–2025, Tate was most common in Wyoming (5.19 per 1,000 boys), followed by Iowa and South Dakota.