2000
#8,982
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,347
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.24
Rare Last name
Baty
An English surname of uncertain origin, possibly derived from a place name or a nickname for a fisherman.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,589 Americans carry the last name Baty. That puts it at #9,859 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 95,501 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Baty 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 Baty with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.6K
1 in 95,501
Census rank
#9,859
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,130 bearers of the surname Baty in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9859th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Baty, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.4%. The next largest groups are Black (8.4%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Baty
The surname BATY is of English origin, with its roots tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "batt," which referred to a thick, heavy stick or club. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname, given to individuals whose trade involved the use of such implements, such as woodsmen or foresters.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, a census-like record from 1273. Here, it appears as "Batte," likely an earlier spelling variation. During this time, surnames were still in their formative stages, often evolving from descriptive nicknames or occupational monikers.
In the 14th century, the name appears in various historical records, including the Pipe Rolls of Nottinghamshire from 1325, where it is listed as "Baty." This spelling variation may have been influenced by the Old French word "batu," meaning "beaten" or "struck," further reinforcing the name's possible occupational origins.
Over the centuries, the name has been associated with several notable individuals. One of the earliest was Sir Thomas Baty (1380-1457), a English knight and landowner from Lincolnshire. Another prominent figure was William Baty (1622-1675), a renowned Puritan clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Mercurius in Hertfordshire.
In the 18th century, the name gained prominence through John Baty (1703-1787), a successful merchant and member of the East India Company. His son, Robert Baty (1742-1819), followed in his footsteps and became a prominent figure in the company, serving as the Governor of Fort St. George in Madras (now Chennai), India.
Another noteworthy individual was Sir Henry Baty (1815-1892), a British lawyer and politician who served as the Attorney General for England and Wales from 1880 to 1885. He was knighted for his contributions to the legal profession.
The name BATY has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Baty's Close in Derbyshire and Baty's Farm in Nottinghamshire, further solidifying its historical roots in the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Baty
Among Census respondents with the surname Baty, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.4%. The next largest groups are Black (8.4%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Baty 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 Baty surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.4% · 2,549
- Black or African American8.4% · 262
- Two or more races4.9% · 153
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 103
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 37
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 26
Timeline
Historical Census data for Baty
Baty 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
#9,587
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,391
+44 bearers (+1.3%)
Per 100,000 1.15
Rank movement Down 605 places
2020
#9,859
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,130
-261 bearers (-7.7%)
Per 100,000 1.05
Rank movement Down 272 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,982 | 3,347 | 1.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,587 | 3,391 | 1.15 | +44 bearers (+1.3%) | Down 605 places |
| 2020 | #9,859 | 3,130 | 1.05 | -261 bearers (-7.7%) | Down 272 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 Baty 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 | #9,587 | #9,859 | -2.8% |
| Count | 3,391 | 3,130 | -7.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.15 | 1.05 | -8.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Baty bearers went from 3,391 to 3,130 (-7.7% change). The surname moved down 272 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,587 to #9,859.
FAQ
Baty surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Baty?
Name Census estimates that about 3,589 living Americans carry the surname Baty. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 95,501 residents.
How common is Baty?
Baty ranks #9,859 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.05 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 3,130 people with the surname Baty. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,589), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.05 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 Baty.
Has Baty become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Baty went from 3,391 recorded bearers to 3,130. That is a decrease of 261 (-7.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,587 to #9,859.
What does the Census say about the background of Baty?
Among Census respondents with the surname Baty, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.4%. The next largest groups are Black (8.4%) and Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Baty in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.4% (2,549 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Baty appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.4%), Black (8.4%), Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Baty (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 Baty mean?
An English surname of uncertain origin, possibly derived from a place name or a nickname for a fisherman. 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 Baty (1.05 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 Baty?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.