Fun Facts About the Name Fate
- More than 1 thousand babies named Fate: U.S. records list 1,329 babies given the name Fate from 1880 through 2025. Even 143 girls received the name Fate - about 1 girl for every 8 boys.
What Does the Name Fate Mean?
Fate is the English word for destiny - the idea that events are fixed in advance - used as a given name. It comes from Latin fatum, literally "that which is spoken," a noun formed from the past participle of fari, "to speak." The earliest sense was a spoken pronouncement or oracle, and from there the word came to mean a person's allotted portion or destiny. The plural Latin form fata named the goddesses who were believed to control human lives.
The name is distinct from Faith, which derives from Latin fides, "trust," and from the Arabic name Fatima; the resemblance in sound does not indicate a shared origin.
Fate Name History & Origins
The word fate entered English in the Middle Ages from Latin fatum. In Roman belief the Fata, the plural form, were goddesses who governed destiny and were identified with the Greek Moirai and with the three Roman Parcae. From that plural the term for a fate-goddess shifted into the words for "fairy" in Italian (fata) and French (fée), an example of how the Latin word moved from destiny toward enchantment.
As a personal name, Fate is rare. It is used mainly in the English-speaking world and is taken directly from the common noun rather than from a saint, a classical hero, or a biblical figure. The word also appears as a surname. Occasional use of Fate as a given name is recorded, but there is no long continuous naming tradition behind it, so its history is largely the history of the word itself.
How Popular is the Name Fate?
Fate recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 1919. Its best rank was #444 in 1897.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | #14,135 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2021 | #12,623 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2018 | #14,379 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2017 | #16,664 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2016 | #13,364 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2015 | #17,326 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2014 | #11,288 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2012 | #12,603 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2011 | #12,550 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2010 | #15,594 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2009 | #15,889 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2008 | #18,414 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2006 | #15,755 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2005 | #17,324 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2004 | #10,984 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2003 | #10,720 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2002 | #9,737 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2001 | #16,156 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2000 | #9,399 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1999 | #13,228 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1997 | #14,474 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | #7,890 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2022 | #12,949 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2021 | #12,726 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2018 | #11,211 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2017 | #11,196 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2010 | #10,004 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2008 | #11,518 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2007 | #12,954 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 2006 | #12,647 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 2005 | #12,003 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2004 | #10,388 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2003 | #11,447 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1999 | #8,136 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1997 | #9,744 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1996 | #8,274 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1990 | #8,544 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1987 | #6,374 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1981 | #5,738 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1980 | #6,579 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1979 | #6,376 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1975 | #5,746 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1973 | #4,224 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1970 | #4,407 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1969 | #4,098 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1968 | #3,467 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1963 | #3,765 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1962 | #3,415 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1961 | #3,777 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1960 | #2,746 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1959 | #3,731 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1958 | #3,663 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1956 | #3,663 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1955 | #2,835 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1954 | #2,641 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1953 | #3,548 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1952 | #2,744 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1951 | #2,729 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1950 | #2,359 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1949 | #2,261 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1948 | #2,252 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1947 | #2,105 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1946 | #2,455 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1944 | #1,842 | 15 | 0.0011% |
| 1943 | #1,860 | 16 | 0.0011% |
| 1942 | #2,190 | 12 | 0.0009% |
| 1941 | #2,249 | 11 | 0.0009% |
| 1940 | #2,017 | 13 | 0.0011% |
| 1939 | #1,994 | 13 | 0.0012% |
| 1938 | #2,116 | 12 | 0.0011% |
| 1937 | #2,747 | 8 | 0.0008% |
| 1936 | #2,980 | 7 | 0.0007% |
| 1935 | #2,436 | 10 | 0.0010% |
| 1934 | #1,742 | 17 | 0.0016% |
| 1933 | #1,372 | 24 | 0.0024% |
| 1932 | #1,675 | 19 | 0.0018% |
| 1931 | #1,657 | 19 | 0.0018% |
| 1930 | #1,545 | 23 | 0.0021% |
| 1929 | #1,885 | 17 | 0.0016% |
| 1928 | #1,726 | 20 | 0.0018% |
| 1927 | #1,767 | 20 | 0.0018% |
| 1926 | #1,814 | 19 | 0.0017% |
| 1925 | #2,121 | 15 | 0.0013% |
| 1924 | #1,696 | 22 | 0.0019% |
| 1923 | #1,972 | 17 | 0.0016% |
| 1922 | #1,376 | 29 | 0.0027% |
| 1921 | #1,854 | 19 | 0.0017% |
| 1920 | #1,715 | 21 | 0.0020% |
| 1919 | #1,196 | 35 | 0.0036% |
| 1918 | #1,242 | 32 | 0.0032% |
| 1917 | #1,377 | 26 | 0.0028% |
| 1916 | #2,080 | 14 | 0.0016% |
| 1915 | #1,906 | 15 | 0.0018% |
| 1914 | #1,111 | 27 | 0.0041% |
| 1913 | #1,612 | 12 | 0.0023% |
| 1912 | #1,563 | 11 | 0.0026% |
| 1911 | #1,830 | 5 | 0.0022% |
| 1910 | #1,004 | 11 | 0.0057% |
| 1909 | #1,336 | 6 | 0.0037% |
| 1907 | #1,030 | 8 | 0.0054% |
| 1906 | #957 | 8 | 0.0060% |
| 1905 | #1,142 | 6 | 0.0045% |
| 1904 | #659 | 13 | 0.0101% |
| 1903 | #811 | 9 | 0.0075% |
| 1902 | #1,054 | 6 | 0.0049% |
| 1901 | #652 | 11 | 0.0103% |
| 1900 | #656 | 15 | 0.0100% |
| 1899 | #972 | 6 | 0.0056% |
| 1898 | #1,190 | 5 | 0.0041% |
| 1897 | #444 | 19 | 0.0169% |
| 1896 | #652 | 12 | 0.0100% |
| 1895 | #651 | 11 | 0.0094% |
| 1894 | #689 | 10 | 0.0086% |
| 1893 | #721 | 9 | 0.0080% |
| 1892 | #885 | 7 | 0.0057% |
| 1891 | #532 | 12 | 0.0119% |
| 1890 | #642 | 10 | 0.0090% |
| 1889 | #830 | 7 | 0.0063% |
| 1888 | #563 | 13 | 0.0108% |
| 1887 | #605 | 10 | 0.0099% |
| 1886 | #719 | 8 | 0.0072% |
| 1885 | #724 | 8 | 0.0074% |
| 1884 | #494 | 15 | 0.0131% |
| 1883 | #660 | 9 | 0.0086% |
| 1882 | #784 | 7 | 0.0062% |
| 1881 | #490 | 13 | 0.0129% |
| 1880 | #582 | 11 | 0.0100% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Most Popular Boy Names That Start with F
Short Boy Names That Start with F
How the Name Fate Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are kind, home-loving, hospitable and friendly. Since you take responsibility well, you are a good organizer of social affairs. Compassion for others is an outstanding trait. You are a great lover and a great flirt – an artist, musician, actor, teacher, nurse. Your character can be contradictory. You are practical, yet idealistic and intuitive; capable of selfless devotion to someone you love, yet look to receive payback. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You are seeking freedom, opportunities to enjoy life: to make love, to go places and to do things. You are very adventurous and willing to take risk to achieve your objectives. New ways and new experiences can't satisfy your restless nature. One adventure leads you to another. You are honest and fair, because you know that this is the only way to receive justice and honesty from other people. But your personal growth is vital for you, and it is difficult to be tied down by rules and obligations. Your restless spirit might best controlled by choosing the field of work that meet your demand for action and adventure.
✦ Fate's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Fate's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.