NameCensus.

UK surname

Bateson

An English surname derived from a place name, possibly referring to someone from the town of Bateson.

In the 1881 census there were 1,872 people recorded with the Bateson surname, ranking it #2,325 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,161, ranked #2,997, down from #2,325 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lancaster Borough, Preston and Bradford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include King's Lynn and West Norfolk, Lancaster and South Ribble.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bateson is 2,489 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 15.4%.

1881 census count

1,872

Ranked #2,325

Modern count

2,161

2016, ranked #2,997

Peak year

1911

2,489 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bateson had 1,872 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,325 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,161 in 2016, ranked #2,997.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,489 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Bateson surname distribution map

The map shows where the Bateson surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Bateson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bateson over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 1,027 #2,724
1861 historical 1,257 #2,268
1881 historical 1,872 #2,325
1891 historical 1,984 #2,327
1901 historical 2,311 #2,353
1911 historical 2,489 #2,069
1997 modern 2,171 #2,851
1998 modern 2,223 #2,892
1999 modern 2,221 #2,917
2000 modern 2,249 #2,871
2001 modern 2,186 #2,884
2002 modern 2,246 #2,872
2003 modern 2,233 #2,823
2004 modern 2,183 #2,887
2005 modern 2,164 #2,874
2006 modern 2,135 #2,907
2007 modern 2,123 #2,950
2008 modern 2,121 #2,978
2009 modern 2,190 #2,960
2010 modern 2,203 #3,008
2011 modern 2,158 #3,033
2012 modern 2,118 #3,022
2013 modern 2,210 #2,953
2014 modern 2,230 #2,947
2015 modern 2,188 #2,968
2016 modern 2,161 #2,997

Geography

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Where Batesons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lancaster Borough, Preston, Bradford, Blackburn and Bolton-le-Moors. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to King's Lynn and West Norfolk, Lancaster and South Ribble. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Lancaster Borough Lancashire
2 Preston Lancashire
3 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Blackburn Lancashire
5 Bolton-le-Moors Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 003 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
2 Lancaster 020 Lancaster
3 South Ribble 002 South Ribble
4 Lancaster 013 Lancaster
5 Lancaster 011 Lancaster

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bateson

These lists show first names that appear often with the Bateson surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bateson

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Bateson, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Bateson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Bateson household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Bateson is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bateson is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bateson falls in decile 4 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Bateson is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Bateson, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Bateson

The surname Bateson is of English origin and derives from the Old English personal name "Bata" combined with the suffix "-son" meaning "son of." The name Bata is thought to have originated from the Old English word "bat," meaning "boat."

The name is believed to have first emerged in the North of England, particularly in the counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire, where it was common among families living near bodies of water or involved in maritime trades. The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 13th century.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landholders in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are several entries that may be early variations of the name Bateson, such as "Batus" and "Bate."

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Bateson was John Bateson, a merchant and landowner who lived in Yorkshire in the late 14th century. Another notable figure was William Bateson (1861-1926), a British biologist and geneticist who pioneered the study of genetics and was one of the first to popularize the term "genetics."

Other historical figures with the surname Bateson include Mary Bateson (1865-1906), an English historian and scholar known for her work on medieval religious movements, and Gregory Bateson (1904-1980), an English anthropologist, social scientist, and cyberneticist who made significant contributions to the study of communication and systems theory.

In the 16th century, the surname Bateson was also found in the village of Bateson, located in the West Riding of Yorkshire, suggesting a possible connection between the name and this place.

Throughout its history, the surname Bateson has been subject to various spellings, including Batteson, Battyson, and Batsone, reflecting regional dialects and variations in pronunciation and spelling over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bateson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bateson surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Yorkshire leads with 817 Batesons recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.51x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 817 4.51x
Lancashire 631 2.91x
Westmorland 51 12.69x
Surrey 41 0.46x
Durham 37 0.68x
Middlesex 36 0.20x
Cheshire 33 0.82x
Cambridgeshire 30 2.59x
Norfolk 24 0.85x
Essex 22 0.61x
Lincolnshire 22 0.75x
Cumberland 15 0.95x
Hertfordshire 15 1.19x
Hampshire 13 0.35x
Northumberland 12 0.44x
Glamorgan 10 0.31x
Lanarkshire 8 0.14x
Warwickshire 8 0.17x
Kent 7 0.11x
Midlothian 6 0.25x
Oxfordshire 6 0.53x
Ayrshire 5 0.37x
Derbyshire 5 0.17x
Devon 5 0.13x
Angus 2 0.12x
Gloucestershire 2 0.06x
Berkshire 1 0.07x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.14x
Dorset 1 0.08x
Herefordshire 1 0.13x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 0.38x
Leicestershire 1 0.05x
Shropshire 1 0.06x
Somerset 1 0.03x
Staffordshire 1 0.02x
Sussex 1 0.03x
Wiltshire 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Preston in Lancashire leads with 87 Batesons recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.99x.

Place Total Index
Preston 87 14.99x
Leeds 71 6.94x
Bentham 42 304.35x
Castleford 42 63.67x
Idle 37 44.05x
Blackburn 34 5.89x
Wortley In Bramley 34 23.70x
Headingley Cum Burley 30 25.73x
Dunkeswick 28 2641.51x
Great Bolton 27 9.40x
Over Darwen 27 15.58x
Bradford 26 5.93x
Halton 25 544.66x
Little Bolton 25 8.96x
Yeadon 24 58.67x
Westhoughton 23 39.73x
Hunslet 22 7.79x
Barrow In Furness 20 6.78x
Manningham 20 8.96x
West Ham 20 2.51x
Walton Le Dale 19 32.60x
Horsforth 17 42.80x
Lancaster 16 12.40x
Burley In Wharfdale 15 93.81x
Shipley 14 14.89x
Whitwood 14 54.41x
Pocklington 13 76.02x
Royston 13 121.16x
Stockton On Tees 13 4.96x
Chorley 12 9.86x
Cotherston 12 300.00x
Foxton 12 452.83x
Hindley 12 12.97x
Kendal 12 16.32x
Louth 12 17.91x
Salford 12 1.88x
Thornhill 12 22.70x
Armley 11 13.77x
Churwell 11 89.07x
Heaton Norris 11 8.91x
Holbeck 11 9.17x
Mansergh 11 733.33x
Turton 11 30.97x
Barkisland 10 76.05x
Burton In Lonsdale 10 255.10x
Farnworth 10 7.69x
Foulmire 10 291.55x
Horton In Bradford 10 3.53x
Oystermouth 10 40.60x
Skelton In York 10 510.20x
Adlington 9 44.31x
Conisbrough 9 52.94x
Coniston Cold 9 426.54x
Crosscanonby 9 17.29x
Everton 9 1.30x
Great Little Marsden 9 9.06x
Lea Ashton Ingol 9 62.50x
Sandal Magna 9 33.59x
Weeton 9 445.54x
Bowling 8 4.46x
Castleton 8 3.69x
Fenham 8 816.33x
Guiseley 8 34.48x
Ince In Makerfield 8 7.93x
Newington 8 1.18x
Old Monkland 8 3.41x
Rishton 8 31.45x
Scotforth 8 56.74x
Skerton 8 44.92x
Tonge With Haulgh 8 18.94x
Tytherington 8 410.26x
West Derby 8 1.26x
Bilsborrow 7 546.88x
Broughton In Preston 7 188.17x
Clapham Cum Newby 7 165.48x
Kirkby Lonsdale 7 64.46x
Liverpool 7 0.53x
Southcoates 7 6.96x
Spofforth Cum Stockeld 7 243.90x
Undermilbeck 7 52.83x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Bateson surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 127
Elizabeth 78
Sarah 78
Ann 46
Jane 35
Hannah 34
Alice 32
Annie 32
Margaret 28
Ellen 25
Martha 23
Agnes 18
Eliza 17
Emma 17
Emily 16
Edith 13
Maria 13
Rebecca 13
Ada 12
Fanny 10
Harriet 10
Isabella 9
Ruth 8
Rachel 7
Susannah 7
Florence 6
Amy 5
Anne 5
Betsy 5
Caroline 5
Catherine 5
Clara 5
Eleanor 5
Esther 5
Frances 5
Rose 5
Charlotte 4
Dorothy 4
Eliz. 4
Elizth. 4
Ethel 4
Lydia 4
Nancy 4
Phoebe 4
Julia 3
Kate 3
Louisa 3
Lucy 3
Maggie 3
Rhoda 3

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Bateson surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 135
William 117
Thomas 77
James 62
Joseph 57
George 45
Robert 31
Henry 27
Richard 27
Frederick 19
Walter 19
Harry 18
Arthur 16
Charles 15
Alfred 13
Samuel 13
Benjamin 9
Tom 8
Herbert 7
Peter 7
Roger 7
Thos. 7
Christopher 6
Edward 6
Abraham 5
Albert 4
Cuthbert 4
Ernest 4
Fred 4
Jabez 4
Wm. 4
Edwin 3
Frank 3
Harold 3
Hugh 3
Jas. 3
Jno. 3
Joshua 3
Mark 3
Marmaduke 3
Matthew 3
Sam 3
Charlie 2
Elias 2
Francis 2
Giles 2
Horace 2
Malcolm 2
Robt. 2
Seth 2

FAQ

Bateson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bateson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,872 people were recorded with the Bateson surname. That placed it at #2,325 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bateson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,161 in 2016. That gives Bateson a modern rank of #2,997.

What does the Bateson surname mean?

An English surname derived from a place name, possibly referring to someone from the town of Bateson.

What does the Bateson map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Bateson bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.