Slate

♂ Boy

Pronounced SLAYT /ˈsleɪt/High

Meaning: The layered gray stone of roofs and chalkboards; from Old French esclate, carrying the idiom 'clean slate'High

In 30 seconds: Stone-gray and second-chance: Slate names the rock of roofs and schoolhouse boards — and every 'clean slate' ever offered. A mineral name with a built-in fresh start.

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Origin HighEnglish, French

MeaningThe layered gray stone of roofs and chalkboards; from Old French esclate, carrying the idiom 'clean slate'

U.S. rank (2025)#2712 ↗ Rising

2025 U.S. births48 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year2018

Total births (all-time)≈ 863

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Slate comes through Old French esclate, 'splinter' — the stone that splits into perfect sheets, roofing Wales and schooling centuries of children. As a given name it joined the mineral-modern lane of Stone, Flint, and Onyx in the 2010s, the 'clean slate' idiom sweetening the deal.

Records show it thinly, almost all boys. Gray is its color, grace is its idiom, and one syllable is its overhead.

Did you know? The 'clean slate' idiom is literal — schoolchildren wiped their slate boards to start over, giving this stone the kindest metaphor in the quarry.

Overall data confidence 90%

Oxford English Dictionary — slate — word etymology

Variations

SlaterSlayte

Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

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If you like Slate…

Stone— the bedrock companion mineral name

Flint— the spark-making stone of the same lane

Gray— the color name slate wears

Slater— the roofer-surname built on the same stone

Explore names like Slate

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Slate mean?

Slate is the fine-grained gray stone, from Old French esclate — with the 'clean slate' idiom built in.

How do you pronounce Slate?

It's said SLAYT /ˈsleɪt/ — a single syllable.

Is Slate a boy or girl name?

Slate is a boy's name.

How popular is Slate?

Slate is a very rare mineral name in the U.S.