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

Batson, 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 Batson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Batson in America

Batson is the 3972nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Batson surname appeared 8,951 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Batson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Batson 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 Batson

The surname Batson is of English origin and can be traced back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "bat," which referred to a bat or club used as a weapon, combined with the suffix "-son," indicating "son of." This suggests that the name may have originally belonged to the son of someone who made or used bats or clubs.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Batson appears in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1194, where a Robert Bateson is mentioned. These rolls were financial records kept by the English Exchequer during the reign of King Richard I.

The Batson name is also found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which were administrative records compiled for taxation purposes. In this record, a Johannes Bateson is listed as a landowner in the village of Woodstock.

During the 14th century, the surname Batson began to appear with various spellings, such as Bateson, Batyson, and Batysson. These variations likely emerged due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in spelling before the standardization of modern English.

One notable figure bearing the Batson surname was Sir William Batson (1553-1620), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Northamptonshire in the early 17th century. He was also a wealthy landowner and held the position of High Sheriff of Northamptonshire in 1610.

Another noteworthy individual was James Batson (1704-1775), an English clergyman and author who served as the rector of Bunwell in Norfolk. He published several works, including a commentary on the Book of Common Prayer.

In the 19th century, John Batson (1809-1886) was a prominent English architect who designed numerous churches and public buildings across the country, particularly in the Gothic Revival style. Some of his notable works include the Church of St. Mary in Nottingham and the Church of St. John the Baptist in Cardiff.

A famous literary figure with the Batson surname was Mary Batson (1768-1858), an English writer and novelist. She is best known for her novel "Constance de Beverley," published in 1798, which explored themes of female education and social expectations.

Finally, William Henry Batson (1833-1910) was a British explorer and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of flora and fauna in Australia. He is credited with discovering several new species of plants and animals during his expeditions in the late 19th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Batson

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

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 Batson 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 Batson 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 Batson was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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