2010
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Beatman
A surname potentially derived from a musical occupation or interest.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Beatman. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Beatman 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Beatman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Beatman, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Beatman
The surname Beatman is believed to have originated in England, with its earliest known records dating back to the 12th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Old English words "beat" and "mann," which together translate to "beater man" or "drummer." This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname referring to someone who played a drum or beat a rhythm, perhaps in a military or ceremonial context.
One of the earliest documented instances of the Beatman surname appears in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1190, which mention a certain Robert Beatman as a landowner in the region. Another early reference can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1301, which list a John Beatman as a taxpayer.
During the medieval period, the surname Beatman was primarily concentrated in the northern counties of England, such as Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Northumberland. Variations in spelling were common, with forms like Beateman, Beteman, and Beattman also appearing in historical records.
In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the Beatman surname was Sir William Beatman (c. 1510-1578), a wealthy merchant and landowner from York. He served as Sheriff of Yorkshire in 1558 and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I in recognition of his loyal service to the crown.
Another prominent individual with this surname was Thomas Beatman (1670-1745), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, from 1724 until his death. He was known for his contributions to religious scholarship and his efforts to promote education in the university.
In the 18th century, the Beatman family established a presence in the county of Norfolk, where they owned substantial land and property. One noteworthy member from this branch was Sir George Beatman (1745-1823), a distinguished naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars.
As the centuries passed, the Beatman surname gradually spread across various regions of England, with pockets of families settling in counties such as Lancashire, Derbyshire, and Somerset. However, the name remained relatively uncommon and was never among the most prevalent surnames in the country.
While the Beatman surname is of English origin, it is worth noting that variations of the name can also be found in other parts of the world, likely due to migration and cultural exchange over time. However, the specific histories and origins of these variants may differ from the English lineage discussed here.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Beatman
Among Census respondents with the surname Beatman, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Beatman 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 Beatman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.2% · 101
- Two or more races3.8% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Beatman
Beatman appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-8 bearers (-7.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,788 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-7.1%) | Down 6,788 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 Beatman 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 | #146,201 | #152,989 | -4.6% |
| Count | 113 | 105 | -7.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Beatman bearers went from 113 to 105 (-7.1% change). The surname moved down 6,788 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #152,989.
FAQ
Beatman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Beatman?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Beatman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Beatman?
Beatman ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Beatman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Beatman.
Has Beatman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Beatman went from 113 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 8 (-7.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #146,201 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Beatman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Beatman, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Beatman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.2% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Beatman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.2%), Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Beatman (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 Beatman mean?
A surname potentially derived from a musical occupation or interest. 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 Beatman (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 Americans have the surname Beatman?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.