At a glance
- U.S. rank 2025
- #9,714 of boy names (outside the top 1,000)
- Babies in 2025
- 7 (<0.01% of boys)
- Peak
- #2,951 in 1935
- First recorded
- 1919
Meaning of Bates
Bates galloped into history like a mischievous troubadour under a Spanish sun, born from the Old English Batte—diminutive of Bartholomew—and instantly earning the title “son of Bat.” Like a lively flamenco riff, he dances off the tongue with crisp, clear beats: beɪts. Once a sturdy surname, Bates now strides boldly as a first name, sprinkling every introduction with a dash of patrimonio and modern charm. Picture a pastel-hued mercado at dawn: his sound is as warm as pan tostado, as welcoming as an abuela’s beso. Though rare—just ten little Bateses appeared in the USA in 2023—he stands out like an estrella in a velvet sky, ready to write new capítulos of adventure. Vibrant, simple, and full of corazón, Bates is your next baby boy name with a story to tell.
How to pronounce Bates
English
- Pronounced beyts /beɪts/
Popularity of Bates in the U.S.
Bates was the #9,714 boy name in the U.S. in 2025, with 7 babies. It peaked at #2,951 in 1935. It first appears in the records in 1919.
- Rank among U.S. boy names (right scale, #1 at the top)
Year-by-year table, 1919–2025 21 rows
| Year | Babies | Rank | vs previous year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 7 | 9,714 | back (not recorded in 2024) |
| 2023 | 10 | 7,738 | ▲ 562 |
| 2022 | 9 | 8,300 | ▼ 1,211 |
| 2021 | 11 | 7,089 | back (not recorded in 2020) |
| 2019 | 5 | 12,145 | ▼ 2,475 |
| 2018 | 7 | 9,670 | ▼ 2,124 |
| 2017 | 10 | 7,546 | ▲ 1,270 |
| 2016 | 8 | 8,816 | ▼ 72 |
| 2015 | 8 | 8,744 | ▼ 3,492 |
| 2014 | 17 | 5,252 | ▲ 5,476 |
| 2013 | 6 | 10,728 | back (not recorded in 2012) |
| 2011 | 6 | 10,808 | back (not recorded in 2002–2010) |
| 2001 | 6 | 9,243 | back (not recorded in 1960–2000) |
| 1959 | 5 | 3,988 | back (not recorded in 1936–1958) |
| 1935 | 7 | 2,951 | back (not recorded in 1928–1934) |
| 1927 | 6 | 3,780 | ▼ 72 |
| 1926 | 6 | 3,708 | ▲ 489 |
| 1925 | 5 | 4,197 | back (not recorded in 1923–1924) |
| 1922 | 8 | 3,252 | ▲ 1,070 |
| 1921 | 5 | 4,322 | back (not recorded in 1920) |
| 1919 | 6 | 3,736 | new |