Find out how popular the last name Batey is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Batey.

Batey, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Batey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Batey in America

Batey is the 9818th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Batey surname appeared 3,298 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Batey.

We can also compare 2010 data for Batey to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Batey

The surname Batey is believed to have originated in England, specifically in the county of Derbyshire, during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English word "bæt," meaning a boat, and the suffix "-ey," indicating a dwelling or homestead. This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a boat landing or dwelled near a body of water where boats were present.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Batey can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Batehi." This document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, was a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation in England at the time. The presence of the name in this historical record indicates its long-standing presence in the region.

In the 13th century, records show the name spelled as "Batai" and "Bataie," further solidifying its connection to the Old English roots. During this period, the surname was primarily concentrated in the counties of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, where many families bearing the name lived and worked.

One notable bearer of the Batey surname was John Batey, a Yorkshire-born clergyman who lived in the 16th century. He served as the Rector of Rothwell, a parish in the West Riding of Yorkshire, from 1583 until his death in 1608. Another individual of note was William Batey, a 17th-century cartographer and surveyor who produced maps of various counties in England, including Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.

In the 18th century, the Batey family expanded beyond their traditional strongholds, with members settling in other parts of England and even venturing to the American colonies. One such individual was Thomas Batey, born in 1712 in Derbyshire, who emigrated to Virginia in the 1730s and established a successful tobacco plantation.

Another prominent figure was Sir Robert Batey, a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars in the early 19th century. Born in 1789 in Nottinghamshire, he distinguished himself in several battles, including the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, and rose through the ranks to become a Rear Admiral in the Royal Navy.

As the centuries progressed, the Batey surname continued to spread, with families establishing roots in various parts of the British Isles and beyond. While the name may have evolved in spelling and pronunciation over time, its origins remain firmly rooted in the historic counties of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, where the descendants of those who lived near the boats and waterways of old still carry on the Batey legacy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Batey

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Batey.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Batey was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Batey has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Batey was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Batey, please contact us.

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