Gatekeeper or dweller by the gate
Derived from a Middle English occupational surname for someone who lived near or worked at the gates of a walled city or manor. It stems from the Old English word 'geat', meaning gate. As a first name, it follows the trend of using sophisticated British surnames for a distinguished feel.
Less common today
Yates isn't in the latest US Top 1000. It last peaked at #5,587 in 2016.
US births per 5-year period, 1990βpresent (SSA data).
The protagonist's son in the novel 'The Easter Parade' Β· The Easter Parade
Grammy-winning American blues musician