Slate is an English word name for the gray "slate" stone, from the Old French esclate, a split piece of rock, and it joins Stone, Flint and Ridge in the recent wave of rugged nature names for American boys. The sound of Slater and the cool gray-blue color make it feel modern rather than old-fashioned. Slate peaked at number 2,381 in 2018 and ranks number 2,712 in 2025, with 48 births.