2000
#8,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,557
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.32
Rare Last name
Batt
An English occupational surname referring to a maker or user of cudgels, or a nickname for a stout person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,890 Americans carry the last name Batt. That puts it at #9,223 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 88,112 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Batt 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 Batt with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.9K
1 in 88,112
Census rank
#9,223
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,392 bearers of the surname Batt in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9223rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Batt, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.3%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Batt
The surname Batt is derived from an Old French nickname, which means "the bat." This nickname likely referred to a person who was active at night or who might have had some physical resemblance to a bat. The name is of French origin and dates back to the medieval era.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Batt can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The Domesday Book lists several individuals with the surname Batt, indicating that the name was already established in England by the late 11th century.
During the Middle Ages, the surname Batt was concentrated in the southern regions of England, particularly in the counties of Dorset, Somerset, and Devon. The name was also found in various locations across Normandy, France, as well as in other parts of Europe where French influence was strong.
One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Batt was Sir John Batt, a prominent English knight who lived during the 13th century. He was a landowner in Somerset and played a significant role in the local affairs of the region.
Another notable individual with the surname Batt was Roger Batt, born in 1455 in Dorset, England. He was a successful merchant and served as the Sheriff of Dorchester in 1490.
In the 16th century, a family of Batts resided in the village of Piddletrenthide, Dorset. One of their descendants, William Batt, born in 1586, was a renowned clockmaker and is credited with creating some of the earliest pendulum clocks in England.
In the 17th century, John Batt, born in 1620 in Somerset, was a influential Puritan minister and author. He wrote several theological works and played a significant role in the religious debates of his time.
During the 18th century, the surname Batt was particularly prevalent in the town of Sherborne, Dorset. One notable figure was Thomas Batt, born in 1741, who was a respected local historian and authored a book on the history of Sherborne.
Throughout its history, the surname Batt has been associated with various place names, such as Batt's Corner in Somerset and Batt's Farm in Dorset. These place names likely derived from individuals or families with the surname Batt who resided in or owned land in those areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Batt
Among Census respondents with the surname Batt, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.3%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Batt 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 Batt surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.6% · 2,936
- Hispanic or Latino5.3% · 181
- Two or more races3.6% · 121
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 58
- Black or African American1.6% · 55
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 41
Timeline
Historical Census data for Batt
Batt 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
#9,026
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,622
+65 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 1.23
Rank movement Down 494 places
2020
#9,223
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,392
-230 bearers (-6.4%)
Per 100,000 1.13
Rank movement Down 197 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,532 | 3,557 | 1.32 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,026 | 3,622 | 1.23 | +65 bearers (+1.8%) | Down 494 places |
| 2020 | #9,223 | 3,392 | 1.13 | -230 bearers (-6.4%) | Down 197 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 Batt 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 | #9,026 | #9,223 | -2.2% |
| Count | 3,622 | 3,392 | -6.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.23 | 1.13 | -7.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Batt bearers went from 3,622 to 3,392 (-6.4% change). The surname moved down 197 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,026 to #9,223.
FAQ
Batt surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Batt?
Name Census estimates that about 3,890 living Americans carry the surname Batt. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 88,112 residents.
How common is Batt?
Batt ranks #9,223 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.13 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,392 people with the surname Batt. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,890), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.13 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Batt.
Has Batt become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Batt went from 3,622 recorded bearers to 3,392. That is a decrease of 230 (-6.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,026 to #9,223.
What does the Census say about the background of Batt?
Among Census respondents with the surname Batt, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.3%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Batt in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.6% (2,936 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Batt appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.6%), Hispanic (5.3%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Batt (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 Batt mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a maker or user of cudgels, or a nickname for a stout person. 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 Batt (1.13 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 people have the last name Batt?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Batt on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.