Yates Coat of Arms, Family Crest and Yates Family History

Yates Family History

The Yates ancient family history was found in the irishsurnames.com archives. Meaning 'at the gate', Yates is a locational name from someone who lived near a gate, they being the gate-keeper. Variants of the name include Yate, Yeat, Yeats, Yetts, Yeatman, Yetman and Yatman. This name is of Anglo-Saxon descent spreading to the Celtic countries of Ireland, Scotland and Wales in early times and is found in many mediaeval manuscripts. Examples of such are a Johannes atte Yate who was recorded in the 'Poll Tax' of the West Riding of Yorkshire, England, in the year 1379. A Thomas Yate and Elizabeth Collyer were married in Saint Dionis Backchurch, London, in the year 1725. In Scotland an Adam del Yate was a juror on an inquisition held at Lochmaben in the year 1347.

In Ireland this name and its variants were introduced into Ulster Province by settlers who arrived from England and Scotland, especially during the seventeenth century. During the 'Plantations of Ireland' in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries Ireland was colonized by the English Crown with this period marking the end of Gaelic supremacy in Ireland. This period brought an influx of settlers into the country but, unlike the earlier Anglo-Norman invasion of the twelfth century that resulted in a full integration into Irish society of the new arrivals, the same never occurred with the Ulster Planters who maintained their own distinct identity.

The famous literary and artistic family of the name lived in County Sligo.The Yates family crest (or coat of arms) came into existence many centuries ago. The process of creating these coats of arms began as early as the eleventh century although a form of Proto-Heraldry may have existed in some countries prior to this, including Ireland. The new more formalized art of Heraldry made it possible for families and even individual family members to have their very own family crest, coat of arms, including Yates descendants.