From the Scottish Tartan Museum & Heritage Center:
SURNAME: Cates
The name Cates more than likely derives from the name Cate. It is not
uncommon to see spelling variations of the name with an s on the end,
which is often indicative of son or descendant of
The name Cate is listed among the families of the Scottish clan Keith. It is
considered a spelling variation of the name. According to The Surnames of
Scotland by George F. Black, writing of Keiths who migrated to other
countries, says, In Germany in the eighteenth century the name was
transformed into Kite, and in the United States it has become Cate.
The tartan for this name is, of course, Keith. The Keith tartan is often
sold under the name Austin or Marshall. Since 1458 the chiefs of the Clan
Keith have been the Earls Marshall of Scotland, a position which gave rise
to the surname Marshall. Austin is another prominent family in the Clan
Keith.
The Keith tartan dates back to at least 1819, when it was recorded in the
pattern books of tartan weavers William Wilson and Sons of Bannockburn, the
first commercial producer of tartan cloth.
Sindex: BKB:KGB
Warp Threads: B8,K8,B8,G18,K4