The Kates surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 4,574 people carried this name — #7,284 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 64,500 people counted. That is up 21% from 3,790 in 2000.

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In print

Kates in American newspapers,
1922.

Newspaper page from Evening Star carrying the name Kates
Evening Star 1922-09-07

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain.

In print

Kates in Australian newspapers,
1840s–1990s.

9,702 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Kates. The most, 3,684, date from the 1880s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Queensland, at 5.8 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Queensland 8,759
New South Wales 535
Victoria 209
South Australia 121
Western Australia 29
Tasmania 24
ACT (Canberra) 23

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Kates.

Who carried it

People named Kates,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Francis Benjamin Kates
    Francis Benjamin Kates 1830–1903 · politician
  • Thomas Wilbur Kates 1861–1931 · military personnel
  • Thomas Wilbur Kates 1865–1931 · military personnel
  • Josef Kates 1921–2018 · computer scientist
  • Bernard Kates 1922–2010 · actor
  • Morris Kates 1923–2013 · biochemist

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Kates,
in the records of 7 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States291 records

291 records of the Kates name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 127
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 43
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 42
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 40
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 18
  • New York State death index (outside NYC), 1957–2001 18
  • Irish Famine arrivals at New York, 1846–1851 1
  • U.S. service members who died in the Korean War 1
  • Sacramento County historic burials 1
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record John C. Kates

    Born 1911 in Tennessee. Enlisted 1942 at East St Louis, Illinois; driver from St Clair County, Illinois. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1964, buried at Memphis National Cemetery, Tennessee.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Jane Kates

    Arrived at New York in 1872 aboard the Canada from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 18; servant. From Ireland.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. A U.S. Army record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864
    Example: U.S. burial record, 1864
    Burial record Jeffery Kates

    U.S. Army veteran. Born 1958, died 1996; buried at Rosehill Cemetery, Linden, New Jersey.

    U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)

Showing 3 of 291 records for Kates in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864, U.S. National Archives (public domain).

Australia50 records

50 records of the Kates name in Australia
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 29
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 11
  • NSW convict, estate and railway indexes 5
  • Tasmanian Names Index 4
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 1
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Emma Kates

    Arrived in Victoria in 1855 aboard the Asia, aged 30; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Francis H. Kates

    Of Corowa and Australian Imperial Forces, New South Wales; died 1917.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  3. The first page of an emigration file from Gündlingen, Baden, 1883
    Example: German emigration file, 1883
    Emigration record John J. Kates

    Left Launceston in 1849 aboard the Ratcliffe, bound for Adelaide, as a seaman.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 50 records for Kates in Australia.

Counts: Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Emigration file, Gündlingen, 1883, Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, Staatsarchiv Freiburg B 694/1 Nr. 1389 (CC BY 4.0).

Germany5 records

5 records of the Kates name in Germany Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Karl Kates

    From Beuren, O.-A. Riedlingen. Reported wounded in the Württemberg casualty list of 29 September 1914 (Landwehr Infantry Regiment No. 125).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Vinzenz Kates

    From Waldhausen, Riedlingen. Reported wounded in the Württemberg casualty list of 27 August 1919 (Infantry Regiment No. 125).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  3. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Anton Kates

    From Binzwangen, Riedlingen. Reported dead in the Württemberg casualty list of 30 July 1917.

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)

Showing 3 of 5 records for Kates in Germany.

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0).

Canada4 records

4 records of the Kates name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 3
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 1
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Pearl Kates

    Died 1920 in Pictou, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Edward Maxwell Kates

    Died in service in 1986.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Jane Kates

    Married 1894 in Cumberland, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 4 records for Kates in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Netherlands4 records

4 records of the Kates name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 3
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 1
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Norbert Barlem Kates

    Died 1945 in Medemblik, aged 79.

    Open Archives, Noord-Hollands Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Florence Sophia Kates

    Married in 1888 in Delft.

    Open Archives, Archief Delft (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Birth record Jacob Hubert Kates

    Born 1871 in Maasbree.

    Open Archives, Regionaal Historisch Centrum Limburg (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 4 records for Kates in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

New Zealand2 records

2 records of the Kates name in New Zealand Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record George Kates

    Buried in 1910 at Tararu Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 89.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Rosina Kates

    Buried in 1911 at Tararu Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 79.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

France2 records

2 records of the Kates name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record William Felix Kates

    Born 1898 in Croix; died 1977 in Dunkerque (Nord).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Henri Frederic Kates

    Born 1900 in Croix; died 1974 in Croix (Nord).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Kates.

When the index is not enough

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