2000
#1,283
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 25,245
First available Census row
Per 100,000 9.36
Uncommon Last name
Beatty
Derived from a place name meaning "dweller at the bee farm" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 27,947 Americans carry the last name Beatty. That puts it at #1,421 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 8.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 12,264 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Beatty 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 Beatty with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
28K
1 in 12,264
Census rank
#1,421
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
8.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
24K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 24,371 bearers of the surname Beatty in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 8.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1421st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Beatty, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.1%. The next largest groups are Black (13.3%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Beatty
The surname Beatty has its origins in the French language and is believed to have been derived from the word "beau," meaning beautiful or handsome. It is thought to have been initially used as a nickname or descriptive name for someone who was considered particularly good-looking.
The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 12th century in northern France, where it appeared in various forms such as Beau, Beaut, and Beaty. Over time, the spelling evolved to its modern form, Beatty.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Robert le Beau, a Norman knight who fought alongside William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. His name is mentioned in the famous Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William I in 1086.
In the 13th century, the name Beatty was associated with several place names in France, such as Beaumont (beautiful mountain) and Beauvoir (beautiful view). This suggests that some individuals with the surname may have taken their name from the location where they lived or held land.
As the name spread across Europe, it gained prominence in Scotland, where it was introduced by Norman settlers during the Middle Ages. One notable Scottish bearer of the name was James Beatty, a 16th-century clergyman and reformer who played a significant role in the Scottish Reformation.
In the 17th century, the Beatty family established themselves in County Antrim, Ireland, and became prominent landowners and industrialists. Sir Samuel Beatty (1686-1766) was a successful linen merchant and politician who served as the High Sheriff of Antrim.
Other notable individuals with the surname Beatty include:
1. David Beatty (1871-1936), a British admiral who commanded the British battlecruisers at the Battle of Jutland during World War I.
2. Clyde Beatty (1903-1965), an American animal trainer and circus performer known for his daring acts with lions and tigers.
3. Warren Beatty (born 1937), an acclaimed American actor, director, and writer best known for films such as "Bonnie and Clyde" and "Reds."
4. Ned Beatty (1937-2021), an American actor renowned for his roles in films like "Deliverance," "Network," and "Superman."
5. Talbert O. Beatty (1913-1992), an American lawyer and civil rights activist who played a pivotal role in the desegregation of public schools in the United States.
The surname Beatty has a rich history spanning centuries and multiple countries, reflecting its French origins and the migration of its bearers across Europe and beyond. Despite its diverse geographic spread, the name has maintained a connection to its roots, serving as a testament to the enduring legacy of those who bore it.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Beatty
Among Census respondents with the surname Beatty, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.1%. The next largest groups are Black (13.3%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Beatty 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 Beatty surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.1% · 19,038
- Black or African American13.3% · 3,249
- Two or more races4.0% · 984
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 771
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 178
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 151
Timeline
Historical Census data for Beatty
Beatty 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
#1,389
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 25,510
+265 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 8.65
Rank movement Down 106 places
2020
#1,421
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 24,371
-1,139 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 8.15
Rank movement Down 32 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,283 | 25,245 | 9.36 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,389 | 25,510 | 8.65 | +265 bearers (+1.0%) | Down 106 places |
| 2020 | #1,421 | 24,371 | 8.15 | -1,139 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 32 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 Beatty 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 | #1,389 | #1,421 | -2.3% |
| Count | 25,510 | 24,371 | -4.5% |
| Per 100K | 8.65 | 8.15 | -5.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Beatty bearers went from 25,510 to 24,371 (-4.5% change). The surname moved down 32 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,389 to #1,421.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Beatty
FAQ
Beatty surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Beatty?
Name Census estimates that about 27,947 living Americans carry the surname Beatty. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 12,264 residents.
How common is Beatty?
Beatty ranks #1,421 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 8.15 per 100,000 residents, which is about 8 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 24,371 people with the surname Beatty. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (27,947), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 8.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 8.15 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 8 of them to have the surname Beatty.
Has Beatty become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Beatty went from 25,510 recorded bearers to 24,371. That is a decrease of 1,139 (-4.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,389 to #1,421.
What does the Census say about the background of Beatty?
Among Census respondents with the surname Beatty, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.1%. The next largest groups are Black (13.3%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Beatty in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.1% (19,038 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Beatty appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.1%), Black (13.3%), Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Beatty (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 Beatty mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "dweller at the bee farm" in Old English. 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 Beatty (8.15 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 Beatty?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Beatty on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.