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Home › Baby Names Directory › Slater

Slater

♀ Girl

Pronounced SLAY-tur /ˈsleɪ.tər/High

Meaning: Slater is an English occupational surname for a slater - a craftsman who roofed buildings with slate. As a given name it is a modern surname pick and is used far more often for boys; its use here for a girl is part of the wider surname-for-girls trend, which we note plainly.Medium

In 30 seconds: Slater is an English surname for a slate roofer, now a crisp given name. It is usually a boy's name - we note the lean (said 'SLAY-tur').
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Origin MediumEnglish
MeaningSlater is an English occupational surname for a slater - a craftsman who roofed buildings with slate. As a given name it is a modern surname pick and is used far more often for boys; its use here for a girl is part of the wider surname-for-girls trend, which we note plainly.
U.S. rank (2024)#14983 ↘ Falling
2024 U.S. births6 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year2023
Total births (all-time)≈ 56

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 202320192024

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

Slater began as an English occupational surname for the tradesman who roofed a house in slate. Like many trade surnames, it moved into first-name use in the modern era, helped along by its brisk, confident sound. It is overwhelmingly a boys' name in the U.S.; its use for a girl here follows the broader surname-for-girls trend, and we note the lean plainly (said 'SLAY-tur').

For girls it appears only very rarely in the U.S., against much heavier boys' use. Rare, surname-style, and crisp.

Did you know? A slater was a roofing craftsman who split and laid slate - skilled, weather-facing work that gave whole families their surname. Slater is used far more often for boys, which we note plainly (said 'SLAY-tur').
Overall data confidence 55%
References - Slater — English occupational surname; strongly male-leaning as a given name.

Variations

SlateSlayter

Nicknames

SlateSlay

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Slater…

Sawyer— a fellow trade surname used for girls
Harper— a like occupational surname pick
Tanner— another trade surname turned given name
Sayler— shares the -er ending
Sadler— shares Slater's English roots

Explore names like Slater

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Slater mean?

Slater is an English occupational surname meaning 'one who lays slate roofs'.

How do you pronounce Slater?

It's said SLAY-tur /ˈsleɪ.tər/ - two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Slater a boy or girl name?

Here Slater is used as a girl's name, but it is overwhelmingly a boys' name - we note the lean plainly.

How popular is Slater?

For girls Slater is very rare and newly emerging; boys' use is much heavier.

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