2000
#138,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Battiston
Italian surname originating as an occupational name for a baptizer or baptist.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Battiston. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Battiston 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.
Bearers in the US
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Battiston in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Battiston, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Battiston
The surname Battiston has its origins in Italy, specifically in the northern regions of the country. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, between the 11th and 13th centuries. The name is derived from the Italian word "battista," which means "baptist" or "one who baptizes." This suggests that the name may have been originally associated with individuals who performed baptisms or had a connection to the church.
Battiston is a patronymic surname, meaning it was originally formed by adding a suffix to a given name. In this case, the suffix "-on" was added to the root "battista," creating the surname Battiston. This naming convention was common in many parts of Europe during the Middle Ages, as surnames became more widely adopted.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Battiston appears in a document from the city of Venice, dated around 1250. The document mentions a certain "Battiston de Canale," indicating that the name was present in the Venetian Republic during that time period. Other early records show variations in spelling, such as "Batiston" and "Battistoni," which were common in those days.
Over the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the surname Battiston. One of the earliest was Pietro Battiston (1298-1368), a prominent Venetian merchant and statesman who served as a diplomat for the Republic. Another was Battiston da Novara (c. 1340-1418), a renowned architect and engineer from Novara, who is credited with designing several churches and fortifications in northern Italy.
In the 16th century, Girolamo Battiston (1508-1576) was a respected painter from the city of Vicenza, known for his religious artworks and frescoes adorning various churches in the region. A century later, Giovanni Battiston (1667-1737) was a prolific composer and violinist from Venice, whose works were performed throughout Europe during the Baroque period.
Battiston has also been the surname of several notable sportsmen, including Claudio Battiston (born 1955), a former Italian footballer who played for the national team and clubs like Juventus and A.C. Milan. Another athlete with this surname was Tiziano Battiston (born 1952), an Italian mountain climber and explorer who was part of several expeditions to the Himalayas and other mountain ranges.
While the surname Battiston is most commonly found in northern Italy, particularly in the regions of Veneto, Lombardy, and Piedmont, it has also spread to other parts of the country and even abroad due to migration patterns over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Battiston
Among Census respondents with the surname Battiston, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Battiston 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 Battiston surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 107
- Hispanic or Latino8.5% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Battiston
Battiston 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
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+7 bearers (+6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,399 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-1 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,130 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #138,741 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.3%) | Down 2,399 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 3,130 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 Battiston 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 | #141,140 | #144,270 | -2.2% |
| Count | 118 | 117 | -0.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Battiston bearers went from 118 to 117 (-0.8% change). The surname moved down 3,130 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #144,270.
FAQ
Battiston surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Battiston?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Battiston. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Battiston?
Battiston ranks #144,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 117 people with the surname Battiston. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Battiston.
Has Battiston become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Battiston went from 118 recorded bearers to 117. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Battiston?
Among Census respondents with the surname Battiston, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.5%). 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 Battiston in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Battiston appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), Hispanic (8.5%). 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 Battiston (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 Battiston mean?
Italian surname originating as an occupational name for a baptizer or baptist. 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 Battiston (0.04 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 surname Battiston?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.