2000
#293
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 93,743
First available Census row
Per 100,000 34.75
Common Last name
Bates
Derived from a nickname meaning "son of Bate," referring to a person who argued or debated.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 104,417 Americans carry the last name Bates. That puts it at #339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 30.46 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,283 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bates surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Bates with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
104K
1 in 3,283
Census rank
#339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
30.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
91K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 91,057 bearers of the surname Bates in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 30.46 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bates, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.2%. The next largest groups are Black (18.6%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bates
The surname Bates has its origins in medieval England, where it was derived from the Old English word "bat," meaning a stick or staff. This name likely originated as a descriptive nickname for someone who carried a bat or staff, perhaps as a walking aid or weapon.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname can be traced back to the 13th century, with records showing individuals named Bate and Bat in various parts of England, such as Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. Over time, the name evolved into its modern form, Bates.
In the Domesday Book, a remarkable survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, there are several entries related to the name Bates or its earlier variations. For example, a landowner named Bate is listed in Suffolk, suggesting that the name was already in use during the Norman conquest.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Bates was Robert Bate, a prominent clergyman who lived in the 13th century and served as the Bishop of St. Asaph in Wales from 1242 to 1248.
Another notable figure with the surname Bates was John Bates, a 16th-century English composer and organist who lived from around 1550 to 1615. He was renowned for his contributions to the development of English church music during the Renaissance period.
In the literary world, Katharine Lee Bates (1859-1929) gained fame as an American writer and educator, best known for her patriotic poem "America the Beautiful," which became a popular and enduring hymn.
Daisy Bates (1859-1951), an Irish-born Australian woman, made significant contributions to the study of Aboriginal Australians and their culture. She lived among the indigenous communities for many years, documenting their traditions and languages.
Lastly, Marston Bates (1906-1974) was an American zoologist and ecologist who played a vital role in the development of the field of ecology. He authored several influential books, including "The Nature of Natural History" and "The Forest and the Sea."
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have carried the surname Bates throughout history, illustrating the rich heritage and widespread presence of this name across various fields and regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bates
Among Census respondents with the surname Bates, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.2%. The next largest groups are Black (18.6%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Bates bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Bates surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White72.2% · 65,779
- Black or African American18.6% · 16,938
- Two or more races4.3% · 3,958
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 3,151
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 641
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 590
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bates
Bates appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#325
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 95,622
+1,879 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 32.42
Rank movement Down 32 places
2020
#339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 91,057
-4,565 bearers (-4.8%)
Per 100,000 30.46
Rank movement Down 14 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #293 | 93,743 | 34.75 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #325 | 95,622 | 32.42 | +1,879 bearers (+2.0%) | Down 32 places |
| 2020 | #339 | 91,057 | 30.46 | -4,565 bearers (-4.8%) | Down 14 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Bates surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #325 | #339 | -4.3% |
| Count | 95,622 | 91,057 | -4.8% |
| Per 100K | 32.42 | 30.46 | -6.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bates bearers went from 95,622 to 91,057 (-4.8% change). The surname moved down 14 positions in the national ranking, going from #325 to #339.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Bates
FAQ
Bates surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bates?
Name Census estimates that about 104,417 living Americans carry the surname Bates. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,283 residents.
How common is Bates?
Bates ranks #339 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 30.46 per 100,000 residents, which is about 30 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 91,057 people with the surname Bates. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (104,417), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 30.46 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 30.46 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 30 of them to have the surname Bates.
Has Bates become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bates went from 95,622 recorded bearers to 91,057. That is a decrease of 4,565 (-4.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #325 to #339.
What does the Census say about the background of Bates?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bates, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.2%. The next largest groups are Black (18.6%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bates in the 2020 Census, accounting for 72.2% (65,779 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bates appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (72.2%), Black (18.6%), Two or More Races (4.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Bates (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Bates mean?
Derived from a nickname meaning "son of Bate," referring to a person who argued or debated. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Bates (30.46 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Bates?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Bates on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.