NameCensus.

UK surname

Batty

Derived from a nickname for a person exhibiting eccentric, crazy, or unpredictable behavior, from the Middle English "batti."

In the 1881 census there were 4,567 people recorded with the Batty surname, ranking it #980 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 5,080, ranked #1,336, down from #980 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hull Holy Trinity, Leeds and Wakefield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North East Derbyshire and Barnsley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Batty is 5,683 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 11.2%.

1881 census count

4,567

Ranked #980

Modern count

5,080

2016, ranked #1,336

Peak year

1911

5,683 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Batty had 4,567 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #980 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 5,080 in 2016, ranked #1,336.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 5,683 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Batty surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Batty surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Batty 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 2,981 #971
1861 historical 2,849 #1,025
1881 historical 4,567 #980
1891 historical 4,381 #1,081
1901 historical 5,404 #1,033
1911 historical 5,683 #926
1997 modern 5,338 #1,217
1998 modern 5,452 #1,242
1999 modern 5,524 #1,239
2000 modern 5,475 #1,248
2001 modern 5,324 #1,251
2002 modern 5,398 #1,255
2003 modern 5,293 #1,256
2004 modern 5,267 #1,257
2005 modern 5,183 #1,261
2006 modern 5,113 #1,275
2007 modern 5,143 #1,282
2008 modern 5,145 #1,290
2009 modern 5,279 #1,289
2010 modern 5,385 #1,298
2011 modern 5,349 #1,283
2012 modern 5,234 #1,284
2013 modern 5,234 #1,305
2014 modern 5,218 #1,317
2015 modern 5,151 #1,319
2016 modern 5,080 #1,336

Geography

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Where Battys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hull Holy Trinity, Leeds, Wakefield, Sheffield and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North East Derbyshire and Barnsley. 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 Hull Holy Trinity Yorkshire, East Riding
2 Leeds Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Wakefield Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North East Derbyshire 001 North East Derbyshire
2 Barnsley 026 Barnsley
3 Barnsley 013 Barnsley
4 Barnsley 012 Barnsley
5 Barnsley 005 Barnsley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Batty

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Batty

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Batty, 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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Batty surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Batty household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Batty 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

Batty is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Batty falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Batty 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 Batty, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Batty

The surname Batty is of English origin, and it is derived from the Old English word "bat," which means a bat or a stick used for hitting. This surname was likely given as a nickname to someone with a physical resemblance to a bat or someone who worked with bats or sticks.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Batty can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of Yorkshire in 1273, where it appears as "Baty." This indicates that the name was already in use by the 13th century in the northern counties of England.

In the 14th century, the name was recorded as "Baty" in the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1379. The variant spelling "Battie" was also found in the same records, suggesting that the name had already begun to evolve into its modern form.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Batty was John Baty, who was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1379. He was likely a landowner or a person of some social standing in the region.

In the 16th century, the surname Batty was recorded in various parish records across England. For instance, William Batty was christened in Loughborough, Leicestershire, in 1565, and Thomas Batty was married in Doncaster, Yorkshire, in 1583.

Notable individuals with the surname Batty include:

1. Richard Batty (c. 1570-1644), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Jesus College, Cambridge, from 1632 until his death.

2. William Batty (1687-1744), an English mathematician and writer who published several works on mathematics and navigation.

3. Robert Batty (1789-1848), an English artist and engraver known for his landscape paintings and etchings of Yorkshire.

4. Joseph Batty (1828-1892), an English cricketer who played for Yorkshire and the North of England in the mid-19th century.

5. Beatrice Batty (1888-1966), an English suffragette and activist who campaigned for women's rights and was imprisoned for her involvement in the suffrage movement.

The surname Batty has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Batty Green in Nottinghamshire and Batty Moss in Yorkshire, further highlighting its deep roots in the region.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Batty families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Batty 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 2,355 Battys recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.32x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 2,355 5.32x
Lancashire 695 1.31x
Middlesex 215 0.48x
Cheshire 181 1.84x
Lincolnshire 150 2.10x
Derbyshire 142 2.03x
Durham 127 0.96x
Surrey 120 0.55x
Kent 77 0.51x
Warwickshire 73 0.65x
Cumberland 43 1.12x
Northumberland 39 0.59x
Nottinghamshire 38 0.63x
Sussex 33 0.44x
Westmorland 32 3.26x
Leicestershire 28 0.57x
Staffordshire 23 0.15x
Somerset 18 0.25x
Lanarkshire 16 0.11x
Berkshire 15 0.45x
Essex 14 0.16x
Oxfordshire 11 0.40x
Bedfordshire 10 0.43x
Buckinghamshire 10 0.37x
Gloucestershire 10 0.11x
Hampshire 10 0.11x
Monmouthshire 9 0.28x
Aberdeenshire 8 0.19x
Devon 8 0.09x
Glamorgan 8 0.10x
Hertfordshire 8 0.26x
Dumfriesshire 7 0.71x
Isle of Man 7 0.84x
Norfolk 6 0.09x
Worcestershire 6 0.10x
Suffolk 5 0.09x
Angus 4 0.10x
Huntingdonshire 4 0.45x
Northamptonshire 3 0.07x
Royal Navy 2 0.38x
Wiltshire 2 0.05x
Argyllshire 1 0.08x
Brecknockshire 1 0.11x
Midlothian 1 0.02x
Shropshire 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leeds in Yorkshire leads with 137 Battys recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.48x.

Place Total Index
Leeds 137 5.48x
Holy Trinity 120 11.28x
Ashton Under Lyne 93 8.03x
Sheffield 74 5.25x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 67 41.71x
Manchester 64 2.69x
Brightside Bierlow 63 7.26x
Hunslet 61 8.84x
Ecclesall Bierlow 60 6.67x
Killamarsh 54 124.22x
Barnsley 49 10.74x
Saddleworth 49 14.36x
Doncaster 45 13.92x
Sculcoates 40 5.70x
Nether Hallam 39 6.52x
Holbeck 34 11.60x
Pendleton In Salford 34 5.39x
Ossett Cum Gawthorpe 33 20.88x
Wakefield 33 9.72x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 31 7.52x
Tintwistle 31 58.88x
Wombwell 31 24.03x
Aston 30 0.97x
Bentham 28 83.06x
Preston Quarter 27 25.07x
Salford 27 1.73x
St Pancras London 27 0.75x
Hatfield In Thorne 26 94.20x
Rothwell 26 29.10x
Dukinfield 24 5.27x
Hulme 24 2.17x
Little Bolton 24 3.52x
Thurlstone 24 55.02x
Toxteth Park 24 1.34x
Morley 23 10.00x
Bradford 22 2.05x
Lancaster 22 6.98x
Eckington 21 12.37x
Glossop Dale 21 6.42x
Scarborough 21 5.22x
Bishopwearmouth 20 1.75x
Bow London 20 3.52x
Gateshead 20 2.01x
Halifax 20 3.08x
Keighley 20 4.24x
Worsbrough 20 15.43x
Ardwick 19 3.98x
Normanby In 19 16.07x
Oldham 19 1.11x
Warmfield Cum Heath 19 127.18x
Armley 18 9.23x
Chorlton On Medlock 18 2.14x
Fulham London 18 2.78x
Hackney London 18 0.72x
Islington London 18 0.42x
Staveley 18 14.51x
Stockton On Tees 18 2.81x
West Derby 18 1.16x
Cheadle 17 9.03x
Easingwold 17 54.43x
Hedon 17 114.56x
Kimberworth 17 6.92x
Chorlton Cum Hardy 16 45.55x
Drighlington 16 24.83x
Silkstone 16 73.06x
Wressell 16 279.23x
Battersea 15 0.91x
Brighton 15 0.99x
Coxwold 15 313.81x
Horton In Bradford 15 2.17x
Hyde 15 5.16x
Ilkley 15 20.75x
Manningham 15 2.75x
Walton Le Dale 15 10.54x
Everton 14 0.83x
Lambeth 14 0.36x
Liverpool 14 0.44x
Lockwood 14 8.80x
Rowley Regis 14 3.33x
Clapham 13 2.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 323
Sarah 198
Elizabeth 177
Ann 107
Jane 85
Annie 79
Hannah 78
Emma 70
Eliza 65
Alice 60
Ellen 54
Martha 49
Margaret 48
Emily 46
Edith 32
Clara 31
Harriet 29
Maria 29
Isabella 28
Fanny 26
Ada 24
Charlotte 24
Louisa 24
Florence 23
Kate 19
Caroline 18
Esther 18
Anne 17
Lucy 16
Elizth. 15
Susannah 14
Agnes 13
Frances 13
Rose 13
Rebecca 12
Ruth 11
Minnie 10
Selina 10
Amelia 9
Eleanor 9
Harriett 9
Matilda 9
Catherine 8
Julia 8
Lilly 8
Gertrude 7
Rachel 7
Susan 7
Grace 6
Lydia 6

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 279
William 246
George 193
James 143
Thomas 143
Joseph 111
Charles 80
Robert 70
Henry 68
Arthur 58
Richard 43
Walter 43
Edward 39
Samuel 36
Alfred 35
Albert 31
Frederick 26
Harry 25
Benjamin 21
David 20
Tom 20
Wm. 18
Edwin 13
Fred 13
Herbert 12
Daniel 11
Ernest 11
Jonathan 11
Joshua 11
Frank 10
Isaac 10
Thos. 10
Joe 9
Abraham 8
Ben 8
Francis 7
Geo. 7
Stephen 7
Willie 7
Christopher 6
Edmund 6
Levi 6
Mark 5
Reuben 5
Andrew 4
Jno. 4
Jos. 4
Matthew 4
Paul 4
Wilson 4

FAQ

Batty surname: questions and answers

How common was the Batty surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4,567 people were recorded with the Batty surname. That placed it at #980 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Batty surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 5,080 in 2016. That gives Batty a modern rank of #1,336.

What does the Batty surname mean?

Derived from a nickname for a person exhibiting eccentric, crazy, or unpredictable behavior, from the Middle English "batti."

What does the Batty map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Batty 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.