The first name Tate
A boy’s name meaning “radiant”, “glad”, “cheerful”.
Pronounced /teɪt/ 1 syllable Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Tate means “radiant”, “glad”, “cheerful”.
From Middle English *Tate, partially from Old English Tāta, from Proto-West Germanic *tait, from Proto-Germanic *taitaz (“radiant, glad, cheerful, tender”); and partially from Old Norse Táta, a personal name of unknown meaning. Doublet of Tait and Zeiss.
More names that mean joy, light.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 152 boys were named Tate, making it the 299th most popular boys’ name.
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Tate with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Tate at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 1,862 boys born in the United States were named Tate, the 194th most popular boys’ name that year.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Nicknames and spellings
Other spellings and forms
- Tates
Famous people named Tate
10 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Tate McRaeCanadian pop singer, born 2003
- Tate DonovanAmerican actor (born 1963)
- Tate TaylorAmerican actor, screenwriter, film producer and director, born 1969
- Tate Reeves65th governor of Mississippi, born 1974
- Tate SmithAustralian canoeist, born 1981
- Tate EllingtonAmerican actor, born 1979
- Tate ArmstrongAmerican basketball player (born 1955)
- Tate StevensAmerican singer, born 1975
- Tate GeorgeAmerican basketball player (born 1968)
- Baby TateAmerican rapper and singer, born 1996
Questions
- What does the name Tate mean?
- Tate means “radiant”, “glad”, “cheerful”.
- How popular is the name Tate?
- In 2025, 152 boys born in England and Wales were named Tate, ranking 299th.
- Is Tate a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 95% of the 28,955 US babies named Tate since 1880 were boys.
- When was Tate most popular?
- 2025 in the United States, when 1,862 babies were named Tate, its highest rank at 194th.
- How do you pronounce Tate?
- Tate is /teɪt/, one syllable.
- What are other spellings of Tate?
- Tates.
- Is Tate also a surname?
- Yes. Tate is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.