Find out how popular the last name Beaton is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Beaton.

Beaton, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Beaton surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Beaton in America

Beaton is the 7468th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Beaton surname appeared 4,462 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Beaton.

We can also compare 2010 data for Beaton to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Beaton

The surname Beaton has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Gaelic name "Beathán" or "Beatton," which means "life" or "vigor." The name was particularly prominent in the Scottish Highlands, particularly in the counties of Inverness and Nairn.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which list individuals who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name appears as "Bethon" in these records.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, the Beatons were an influential family in the Western Isles of Scotland. They served as physicians and advisors to the Lords of the Isles, a powerful clan that held significant power in the region.

A notable member of the Beaton family was James Beaton (c. 1473-1539), who served as Archbishop of St Andrews and Lord Chancellor of Scotland. He played a prominent role in the political and religious affairs of Scotland during the reign of King James V.

Another noteworthy figure was David Beaton (1494-1546), who succeeded his uncle James as Archbishop of St Andrews. He was a staunch opponent of the Protestant Reformation in Scotland and was eventually assassinated by a group of Protestant reformers.

In the 16th century, a branch of the Beaton family settled in France, where they became known as the Béton family. One member, Robert Béton (c. 1580-1640), was a renowned architect and engineer who worked on several significant projects, including the construction of the Luxembourg Palace in Paris.

The Beaton surname has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as Beaton's Mill in Inverness-shire and Beaton's Burn in Nairn. Additionally, there are alternative spellings of the name, including Beaton, Betton, and Beton.

Other notable individuals with the surname Beaton throughout history include:

1. Ewan Beaton (1876-1913), a Scottish-Canadian poet and journalist.
2. Joseph Beaton (1909-1996), a Canadian painter and artist known for his landscape paintings.
3. William Beaton (1898-1989), a Scottish writer and journalist who wrote extensively about the Highlands.
4. Roderick Beaton (born 1949), a Scottish scholar and writer who has published works on Greek literature and culture.
5. Mary Anne Beaton (1835-1919), a Scottish-Canadian author and educator who wrote about the experiences of Scottish immigrants in Canada.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Beaton

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Beaton.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Beaton was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Beaton has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Beaton was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Beaton, please contact us.

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