Pate Family History

English and Scottish: from the personal name Pate, a pet form of Patrick and in Scotland possibly also of Peter. Compare Paton and Peat. English and Scottish: nickname from Middle English pate ‘head skull’ perhaps for a man with a bald head. Compare Head.

French (Paté): from Old French paté ‘with paws pawed’ (from pate ‘paw’) a nickname applied presumably to a man with large and clumsy hands and feet. French (Pâte Pâté): from Old French paste ‘pastry meat dish surrounded by dough’ applied as a metonymic occupational name for a pastry cook.

Slovenian: perhaps from a short form of the personal name Paternuš, an archaic form of Bartolomej (see Bartholomew). German: relationship name or nickname (for a trustworthy man) from Middle High German bate pate, Middle Low German pade ‘godfather male relative’ from Latin pater ‘father’.

German: possibly also from the personal name Bado of ancient Germanic origin probably meaning ‘battle fight’.