Yates Family History

This branch of the Yates family came from England to North Carolina and then to Tennessee around 1800 and are still in Tennessee today. Other branches are included as well as some collateral lines.

Special Thanks go to Gail Yates who is the real family historian of this branch of our family

• Origins of the Yates name and coat of arms (BELOW)

• A suggested Geneological line (1300 England to 1670 Maryland, USA) Click here

• Documented History of my Yates line (late 1700 NC to present day Tennessee) Click here

• George Yates line c1672 Maryland Click here

• Bartholomew Yates line c1636 Middlesex VA Click here

• John Yates line from Gravesend Eng to Nanesmond VA c1635 Click here

• John Longsteet Rhymes' Yates website Click here

• My Hudson Family History website Click here

• SEARCH MY DATABASE--ABOUT 9000 NAMES Click here

• Geneology research links (On-line) Click here

The family name Yates is a corruption of the English word “gates(s). The final s’ may indicate more than one gate, according to the American Genealogical Research Institute.

Yates(s) can be found in medievel records in the form of “atte Yate”, and “de lat Yate”. The prepositions were appended to signify the dwelling place or occupation of the name bearer. The gatekeeper at a castle or manor was a trusted servant.

Early English records show forms of the Yates name as follows:

William atte Yate - County Somersetshire (1327 - 1377).

Adam atte Yate - Yorkshire Poll Tax (1379).

Laurence Yates of Blackburn - Wills at Chester (1608).

The surname Yates is most abundant in Lancashire and Derbyshire and is also found in the English counties of Buckinghanshire, Shropshire, Herefordshire, Staffordshire and Cheshire. The name is spelled Yate, Yetts, Yeates, and Yeats. Yate and Yates appears to be the English version and pronunciation while Yett and Yeats being the Scottish version.

By the time the first U.S. census came out in 1790, many Yates families had settled in this country. Most lived in New York, Kentucky and North Carolina. This is supported by the following place names:

Yates, Alabama Yatesville, Ct Yatesville, Ga

Yates City, Illinois Yates Center, Kansas Yatesville, Kky

Yates, Missouri Yates, Montana Yates Co, NY

Gates Co, NC Yatesboro, Penn Yatesville, Penn

Yatetown, TN Yates Lane, TN Gatesville, Tn

Yates, West Va

The Yates coat of arms is described as follows:

ARMS: Per fess embattled argent and sable three gates counterchanged. (On a shield divided by a horizontal embattled line, the top half silver and the bottom half black, three gates, each the color of the opposite half).

CREST: A demi Lion rampant azure. (The top half of a standing blue lion)

You are visitor numbersince June 15,1998

For updates, corrections or inquires, feel free to contact me at vanhudson@prodigy.net