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Cates Family History

Cates Name Meaning

English (Middlesex and Surrey): from the Middle English reflex of the Old Norse male personal name Káti Kati Kate (from kátr ‘merry’) with genitival or post-medieval excrescent -s (Kate was not in use as a pet form of Catherine during the Middle Ages). See also Kates . Americanized form of German Katz . See also Kates .

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Gates, Catts, Cater, Bates, Coates, Tates, Oates, Yates, Gales, Kates

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Cates family from?

You can see how Cates families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Cates family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Cates families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 34 Cates families living in North Carolina. This was about 18% of all the recorded Cates's in USA. North Carolina had the highest population of Cates families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Cates surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Cates ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Cates. 26% of Cates men worked as a Farmer and 8% of Cates women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Cates were Truck Driver and Stenographer. .

View Census Data for Cates | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    26%
  • Laborer
    15%
  • Salesman
    5%
  • Truck Driver
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housekeeper
    8%
  • Housewife
    7%
  • Teacher
    5%
  • Stenographer
    5%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Cates family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 74,000 census records available for the last name Cates. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Cates census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Cates

Passenger Lists

There are 6,000 immigration records available for the last name Cates. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Cates immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 17,000 military records available for the last name Cates. For the veterans among your Cates ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Cates military records

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What is the average Cates lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Cates life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 1950. The average life expectancy for Cates in 1941 was 54, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Cates

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