2000
#3,483
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,389
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.48
Uncommon Last name
Batchelor
An occupational surname referring to an unmarried man or a young knight serving under another's standard.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,517 Americans carry the last name Batchelor. That puts it at #3,771 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 32,591 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Batchelor surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Batchelor with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
11K
1 in 32,591
Census rank
#3,771
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.2K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,171 bearers of the surname Batchelor in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3771st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Batchelor, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.8%. The next largest groups are Black (13.0%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Batchelor
The surname Batchelor has its origins in medieval England, tracing back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old French word "bachelier," which means "young man" or "squire." This term was initially used to refer to a low-ranking knight or a candidate for knighthood.
In the early days, the name Batchelor was primarily associated with young men who were in the service of knights or lords. It was a common practice for these individuals to take on the name Batchelor as a surname, reflecting their status as unmarried men in their master's household.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Batchelor can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, where a certain William le Bacheler was mentioned in Shropshire. This document provides valuable evidence of the name's existence and usage during that period.
As time passed, the name Batchelor evolved and took on various spellings, such as Bachiler, Batcheler, and Batchelor. These variations were common due to the inconsistencies in spelling and record-keeping practices of the time.
In the 14th century, the Batchelor surname appeared in several historical records, including the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield, where a John Batcheler was mentioned in 1348. Additionally, the Poll Tax Returns of 1379 recorded a Thomas Bacheler in Yorkshire.
One notable figure bearing the name Batchelor was Sir Fulke Batchelor (c. 1460-1516), a prominent English landowner and Member of Parliament for Nottinghamshire. He played a significant role in the Battle of Stoke Field in 1487, where he fought alongside King Henry VII against the rebel forces led by Lord Audley.
Another individual of historical importance was Daniel Batchelor (1584-1619), an English clergyman and author. He served as the rector of Woodham Walter in Essex and is best known for his work titled "The Arminian Principles Maintained," which contributed to the theological debates of the time.
In the 17th century, the name Batchelor gained further recognition with the birth of Henry Batchelor (1616-1685), a renowned English writer and translator. He is particularly renowned for his translations of classical works, including Virgil's Eclogues and Georgics.
Moving into the 18th century, we encounter John Batchelor (1688-1759), an English horticulturist and botanist. He is credited with introducing several plant species to Britain, including the Bermuda cedar and the Fairchild mango.
These examples demonstrate the rich history and diverse backgrounds associated with the surname Batchelor, which has left an indelible mark on various aspects of English society throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Batchelor
Among Census respondents with the surname Batchelor, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.8%. The next largest groups are Black (13.0%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Batchelor bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Batchelor surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.8% · 7,228
- Black or African American13.0% · 1,194
- Two or more races3.8% · 344
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 295
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 59
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 51
Timeline
Historical Census data for Batchelor
Batchelor appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#3,762
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,417
+28 bearers (+0.3%)
Per 100,000 3.19
Rank movement Down 279 places
2020
#3,771
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,171
-246 bearers (-2.6%)
Per 100,000 3.07
Rank movement Down 9 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,483 | 9,389 | 3.48 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,762 | 9,417 | 3.19 | +28 bearers (+0.3%) | Down 279 places |
| 2020 | #3,771 | 9,171 | 3.07 | -246 bearers (-2.6%) | Down 9 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Batchelor surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,762 | #3,771 | -0.2% |
| Count | 9,417 | 9,171 | -2.6% |
| Per 100K | 3.19 | 3.07 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Batchelor bearers went from 9,417 to 9,171 (-2.6% change). The surname moved down 9 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,762 to #3,771.
FAQ
Batchelor surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Batchelor?
Name Census estimates that about 10,517 living Americans carry the surname Batchelor. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 32,591 residents.
How common is Batchelor?
Batchelor ranks #3,771 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.07 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,171 people with the surname Batchelor. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,517), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.07 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Batchelor.
Has Batchelor become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Batchelor went from 9,417 recorded bearers to 9,171. That is a decrease of 246 (-2.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,762 to #3,771.
What does the Census say about the background of Batchelor?
Among Census respondents with the surname Batchelor, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.8%. The next largest groups are Black (13.0%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Batchelor in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.8% (7,228 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Batchelor appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.8%), Black (13.0%), Two or More Races (3.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Batchelor (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Batchelor mean?
An occupational surname referring to an unmarried man or a young knight serving under another's standard. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Batchelor (3.07 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Batchelor?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.