Slater

Meaning of Slater

Derived from the English occupational surname for a roof-tiler who worked in slate, Slater descends from Middle English sclat and the Old French esclate, “split piece of stone.” In modern Anglo-American practice the term has shifted from trade badge to given name, aligning with the broader tendency to repurpose sturdy surnames for boys. Pronounced SLAY-ter, its two crisp syllables lend an assertive yet uncluttered sonic profile. Social Security records document a modest but steady presence: after sporadic mid-century appearances, usage rose with the late-twentieth-century surname revival and has hovered around the 800th rank throughout the 2010s and early 2020s. Cultural cues—from eleven-time world surfing champion Kelly Slater to the enduring television character A. C. Slater—reinforce impressions of athletic competence and relaxed confidence while preserving the name’s artisanal heritage. Thus, Slater offers parents an uncommon, instantly comprehensible option that balances the tangible solidity of stone craftsmanship with the streamlined modernity of current naming trends.