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Bates Family History

Bates Name Meaning

English: variant of Bate with genitival or post-medieval excrescent -s. This surname is also common in Ireland. Americanized form of German Betz . See also Betts .

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


Similar surnames: Cates, Bares, Gates, Banes, Batey, Bate, Bales, Gales, Pates, Bayes

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Bates family from?

You can see how Bates families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Bates family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Bates families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 661 Bates families living in Ontario. This was about 45% of all the recorded Bates's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Bates families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Bates surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Bates ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Bates. 32% of Bates men worked as a Farmer and 13% of Bates women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Bates were Carpenter and Operator. .

View Census Data for Bates | 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 1921

  • Farmer
    32%
  • Labourer
    10%
  • Laborer
    6%
  • Carpenter
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Housekeeper
    13%
  • Farmer
    12%
  • Stenographer
    11%
  • Operator
    9%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Bates family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 790,000 census records available for the last name Bates. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Bates census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Bates

Passenger Lists

There are 57,000 immigration records available for the last name Bates. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Bates immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 122,000 military records available for the last name Bates. For the veterans among your Bates ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Bates military records

You've only scratched the surface of Bates family history

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What is the average Bates lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Bates life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1948, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Bates in 1940 was 48, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Bates

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