UK surname
An occupational surname indicating someone who provided goods or services to nobility.
In the 1881 census there were 130 people recorded with the Batman surname, ranking it #16,911 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 41, ranked #35,388, down from #16,911 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to St Mary Bishopshill Junior, Marbury and Yeovilton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Batman is 281 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 68.5%.
1881 census count
130
Ranked #16,911
Modern count
41
2016, ranked #35,388
Peak year
1861
281 bearers
Map years
5
1851 to 1911
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Batman surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Batman surname density by area, 1881 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 161 | #12,288 |
| 1861 | historical | 281 | #8,921 |
| 1881 | historical | 130 | #16,911 |
| 1891 | historical | 122 | #21,053 |
| 1901 | historical | 99 | #22,999 |
| 1911 | historical | 105 | #22,064 |
| 1997 | modern | 40 | #33,666 |
| 1998 | modern | 45 | #33,374 |
| 1999 | modern | 48 | #33,233 |
| 2000 | modern | 42 | #33,791 |
| 2001 | modern | 40 | #33,842 |
| 2002 | modern | 39 | #34,219 |
| 2003 | modern | 36 | #34,522 |
| 2004 | modern | 39 | #34,477 |
| 2005 | modern | 42 | #34,395 |
| 2006 | modern | 40 | #34,854 |
| 2007 | modern | 42 | #34,905 |
| 2008 | modern | 40 | #35,137 |
| 2009 | modern | 39 | #35,321 |
| 2010 | modern | 41 | #35,358 |
| 2011 | modern | 39 | #35,444 |
| 2012 | modern | 40 | #35,369 |
| 2013 | modern | 43 | #35,271 |
| 2014 | modern | 42 | #35,350 |
| 2015 | modern | 41 | #35,383 |
| 2016 | modern | 41 | #35,388 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around St Mary Bishopshill Junior, Marbury, Yeovilton, St Michael-le-Belfry, St Giles and Chesham (incl. Chartridge, Billington & Latimers with Waterside. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | St Mary Bishopshill Junior | Yorkshire, East Riding |
| 2 | Marbury | Cheshire |
| 3 | Yeovilton | Somerset |
| 4 | St Michael-le-Belfry, St Giles | Yorkshire, East Riding |
| 5 | Chesham (incl. Chartridge, Billington & Latimers with Waterside | Buckinghamshire |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Batman surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Batman, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Batman surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Batman household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Batman is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Batman is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Batman, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Batman originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to have derived from the Old English words "bat" and "mann," which together mean "bat man" or "a man who dealt with bats." The earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to the 13th century in the county of Nottinghamshire.
One of the earliest known records of the Batman surname appears in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a William Batman is listed as a landowner in the village of Strelley. This suggests that the name may have originated as an occupational surname for someone who caught or worked with bats.
In the 14th century, the Batman surname can be found in various medieval records, such as the Poll Tax Returns of 1379, where a John Batman is listed as a resident of the village of Chilwell in Nottinghamshire. The name also appears in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, where a Thomas Batman is mentioned in 1348.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Batman surname spread across other parts of England, with records showing individuals bearing the name in counties like Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, and Staffordshire. One notable individual from this period was John Batman (1501-1587), a wealthy landowner and farmer from Aston-on-Trent in Derbyshire.
In the 18th century, the Batman surname gained prominence with the birth of John Batman (1771-1839), an English entrepreneur and explorer who is credited with founding the settlement that would become the city of Melbourne, Australia. He led an expedition to the area in 1835 and negotiated a treaty with the local Aboriginal people, which paved the way for the establishment of the colony.
Another significant figure with the Batman surname was William Batman (1816-1889), an English clergyman and author who wrote several books on theology and church history. He served as the vicar of Newington Butts in London and was a prominent figure in the Church of England during the Victorian era.
Other notable individuals bearing the Batman surname include Sir Frederick Batman (1824-1900), a British colonial administrator who served as the Governor of St. Helena and the Lieutenant Governor of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), and John Batman (1850-1927), an Australian politician and member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Batman surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Yorkshire leads with 45 Batmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.55x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Yorkshire | 45 | 3.55x |
| Middlesex | 15 | 1.17x |
| Surrey | 14 | 2.25x |
| Staffordshire | 11 | 2.55x |
| Gloucestershire | 10 | 3.99x |
| Worcestershire | 7 | 4.19x |
| Northamptonshire | 6 | 4.99x |
| Lancashire | 5 | 0.33x |
| Pembrokeshire | 5 | 12.31x |
| Lincolnshire | 3 | 1.47x |
| Cheshire | 2 | 0.71x |
| Warwickshire | 2 | 0.62x |
| Cumberland | 1 | 0.91x |
| Essex | 1 | 0.40x |
| Kent | 1 | 0.23x |
| Norfolk | 1 | 0.51x |
| Nottinghamshire | 1 | 0.58x |
| Royal Navy | 1 | 6.57x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Biddulph in Staffordshire leads with 11 Batmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 452.67x.
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Batman surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
| Name | Count |
|---|---|
| Mary | 7 |
| Jane | 5 |
| Elizabeth | 4 |
| Emma | 3 |
| Hannah | 3 |
| Sarah | 3 |
| Emily | 2 |
| Gertrude | 2 |
| Louisa | 2 |
| Susan | 2 |
| Ada | 1 |
| Agnes | 1 |
| Alice | 1 |
| Amelia | 1 |
| Ann | 1 |
| Anne | 1 |
| Caroline | 1 |
| Edith | 1 |
| Eleanor | 1 |
| Eliza | 1 |
| Ellen | 1 |
| Evelyn | 1 |
| Florance | 1 |
| Harriet | 1 |
| Harriett | 1 |
| Henrietta | 1 |
| Lucy | 1 |
| Maria | 1 |
| Maude | 1 |
| May | 1 |
| Rachael | 1 |
| Rose | 1 |
| Tilley | 1 |
| Victoria | 1 |
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Batman surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
| Name | Count |
|---|---|
| John | 10 |
| George | 7 |
| Thomas | 6 |
| William | 6 |
| Henry | 4 |
| Edward | 3 |
| Frederick | 3 |
| James | 3 |
| Samuel | 3 |
| Arthur | 2 |
| Benjamin | 2 |
| Charles | 2 |
| Fred | 2 |
| Joseph | 2 |
| Alfred | 1 |
| Andrew | 1 |
| Elija | 1 |
| Ellis | 1 |
| F.W.E. | 1 |
| Harry | 1 |
| Herbert | 1 |
| J. | 1 |
| Jonas | 1 |
| Josia | 1 |
| Morgan | 1 |
| Percy | 1 |
| Peter | 1 |
| Richard | 1 |
| Russell | 1 |
| Squire | 1 |
| Vaughan | 1 |
| Vivian | 1 |
| Walter | 1 |
Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Batman households.
FAQ
In 1881, 130 people were recorded with the Batman surname. That placed it at #16,911 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 41 in 2016. That gives Batman a modern rank of #35,388.
An occupational surname indicating someone who provided goods or services to nobility.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Batman bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.