2000
#4,500
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,260
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.69
Rare Last name
Battles
An English occupational surname referring to a soldier or a nickname for someone who was combative or confrontational.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,284 Americans carry the last name Battles. That puts it at #4,748 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.42 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 41,375 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Battles 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
8.3K
1 in 41,375
Census rank
#4,748
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,224 bearers of the surname Battles in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.42 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4748th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Battles, the largest self-reported group is White at 58.7%. The next largest groups are Black (31.6%) and Two or More Races (5.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Battles
The surname Battles is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is a locational name derived from various place names across the country, such as Battle in Sussex or Batley in Yorkshire. The name itself is thought to come from the Old English word "bataile," meaning battle or battlefield.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Battles surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a landowner named Radulfus de Batalia in Wiltshire. This suggests that the name was already well-established by the late 11th century.
During the 13th and 14th centuries, variations of the name began to appear in various historical records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which listed a Robert de Batayle in Oxfordshire, and the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield from 1275, which mentioned a Johannes del Bateley.
Notable individuals with the Battles surname throughout history include Sir William Battell (c.1545-1615), an English navigator and explorer who is credited with being one of the first Europeans to establish trade relations with the Mughal Empire in India. Another prominent figure was Thomas Battell (c.1572-1637), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament during the reign of King James I.
In the 18th century, John Battely (1647-1708) was an English antiquarian and clergyman who wrote several works on the history of Canterbury and the surrounding areas. Around the same time, Nathaniel Battely (1648-1704) was an English author and editor who published a collection of ancient liturgical works.
Moving into the 19th century, John Battles (1789-1860) was an American politician and lawyer who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives for Virginia. He was also a prominent figure in the Whig Party during that era.
Throughout its history, the Battles surname has been associated with various occupations and fields, from explorers and politicians to scholars and clergymen. While the name has evolved over time, its origins can be traced back to the battlefields and settlements of medieval England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Battles
Among Census respondents with the surname Battles, the largest self-reported group is White at 58.7%. The next largest groups are Black (31.6%) and Two or More Races (5.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Battles 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 Battles surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White58.7% · 4,244
- Black or African American31.6% · 2,281
- Two or more races5.5% · 400
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 188
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 67
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 44
Timeline
Historical Census data for Battles
Battles 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
#4,606
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,702
+442 bearers (+6.1%)
Per 100,000 2.61
Rank movement Down 106 places
2020
#4,748
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,224
-478 bearers (-6.2%)
Per 100,000 2.42
Rank movement Down 142 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,500 | 7,260 | 2.69 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,606 | 7,702 | 2.61 | +442 bearers (+6.1%) | Down 106 places |
| 2020 | #4,748 | 7,224 | 2.42 | -478 bearers (-6.2%) | Down 142 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 Battles 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 | #4,606 | #4,748 | -3.1% |
| Count | 7,702 | 7,224 | -6.2% |
| Per 100K | 2.61 | 2.42 | -7.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Battles bearers went from 7,702 to 7,224 (-6.2% change). The surname moved down 142 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,606 to #4,748.
FAQ
Battles surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Battles?
Name Census estimates that about 8,284 living Americans carry the surname Battles. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 41,375 residents.
How common is Battles?
Battles ranks #4,748 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.42 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,224 people with the surname Battles. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,284), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.42 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.42 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Battles.
Has Battles become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Battles went from 7,702 recorded bearers to 7,224. That is a decrease of 478 (-6.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,606 to #4,748.
What does the Census say about the background of Battles?
Among Census respondents with the surname Battles, the largest self-reported group is White at 58.7%. The next largest groups are Black (31.6%) and Two or More Races (5.5%). 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 Battles in the 2020 Census, accounting for 58.7% (4,244 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Battles appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (58.7%), Black (31.6%), Two or More Races (5.5%). 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 Battles (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 Battles mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a soldier or a nickname for someone who was combative or confrontational. 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 Battles (2.42 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 common is the surname Battles?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Battles at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.