Slate

At a Glance: Name: Slate – Meaning: A fine-grained rock; or an occupational surname for a slater – Origin: English – Gender: primarily used for boys – Pronunciation: SLAYT

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Slate is an English name that comes from the word for a fine-grained rock, and it also works as an occupational surname for a slater. It's pronounced SLAYT (/sleɪt/), a single crisp syllable that's easy to say and hard to mishear.

Meaning & Origin of Slate

Meaning: A fine-grained rock; or an occupational surname for a slater.

Origin: English.

Source: Wiktionary, Wikipedia.

How to Pronounce Slate

Phonetic: SLAYT   IPA: /sleɪt/

Popularity of Slate

Slate peaked at #2381 in 2018, when 56 babies were given the name. By 2024 it had slipped to #3376 with 35 babies, so it's still in use but remains a rare pick.

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1990–2024.

Make Slate Name Art

Free printable nursery art for Slate, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.

Names With a Similar Story

Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.

• Yides
• Yaretzy
• Alysson
• Zac
• Amaiyah
• Atara

FAQ

What does the name Slate mean?

A fine-grained rock; or an occupational surname for a slater. (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Slate)

How do you pronounce Slate?

Slate is pronounced SLAYT (IPA: /sleɪt/).

Is Slate a popular name right now?

Slate peaked at #2381 in 2018 and is ranked #3376 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1990–2024.)

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