NameCensus.

UK surname

Beats

A surname derived from the French word "bête" meaning "beast" or "animal".

In the 1881 census there were 64 people recorded with the Beats surname, ranking it #24,561 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 126, ranked #26,686, down from #24,561 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Dudley, Wolstanton and Arbroath and St. Vigeans. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ythanside, Peterhead Harbour and Letham and Glamis.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Beats is 126 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 96.9%.

1881 census count

64

Ranked #24,561

Modern count

126

2016, ranked #26,686

Peak year

2016

126 bearers

Map years

2

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Beats had 64 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,561 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 126 in 2016, ranked #26,686.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 106 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Beats surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Beats surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Beats 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 68 #21,302
1861 historical 106 #20,147
1881 historical 64 #24,561
1891 historical 81 #26,632
1901 historical 93 #23,689
1911 historical 56 #27,216
1997 modern 84 #29,106
1998 modern 93 #28,563
1999 modern 104 #27,164
2000 modern 106 #26,848
2001 modern 99 #27,534
2002 modern 103 #27,443
2003 modern 99 #27,871
2004 modern 100 #27,964
2005 modern 91 #29,406
2006 modern 93 #29,411
2007 modern 97 #29,156
2008 modern 93 #30,123
2009 modern 97 #30,076
2010 modern 104 #29,618
2011 modern 103 #29,589
2012 modern 104 #29,543
2013 modern 109 #29,209
2014 modern 117 #28,109
2015 modern 123 #27,088
2016 modern 126 #26,686

Geography

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Where Beats' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Dudley, Wolstanton, Arbroath and St. Vigeans, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Blackburn. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Ythanside, Peterhead Harbour, Letham and Glamis, Malvern Hills and Nairn West. 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 Dudley Staffordshire
2 Wolstanton Staffordshire
3 Arbroath and St. Vigeans Forfar
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Blackburn Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ythanside Aberdeenshire
2 Peterhead Harbour Aberdeenshire
3 Letham and Glamis Angus
4 Malvern Hills 006 Malvern Hills
5 Nairn West Highland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Beats

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Beats

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Beats, 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 Beats surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Beats 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, Beats 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

Beats is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Beats falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Beats is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Beats

The surname "Beats" is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, specifically in the 11th or 12th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "bæt," which means a boat or vessel. This suggests that the name was likely given to someone who worked on or owned a boat, perhaps a fisherman or a merchant sailor.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Bates." This spelling variation was common in those times, as standardized spellings had not yet been established. The Domesday Book entry refers to a landowner named William Bates in the county of Yorkshire.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records as "Bate" and "Batt," further indicating the evolution of the spelling over time. One notable figure from this period was Sir John Bate, a knight who lived in Warwickshire during the reign of King Edward I (1272-1307).

As the centuries progressed, the name continued to be spelled in different ways, including "Beate," "Beat," and "Beatt," before eventually settling into the more modern spelling of "Beats." In the 16th century, records show a Thomas Beats who was a merchant in the city of London, born around 1520.

Another notable figure with this surname was Sir William Beats, a prominent lawyer and politician who lived in the late 17th century. He served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Calne in Wiltshire from 1689 to 1698.

During the 18th century, the name appeared in several parish records across England, particularly in counties such as Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, and Staffordshire. One individual of note was John Beats, a renowned clockmaker from Birmingham, who was born in 1745.

As the surname spread throughout the British Isles and beyond, it continued to be associated with various occupations and professions, from mariners and tradesmen to landowners and professionals. While not a particularly widespread name, it has maintained a presence in many parts of the English-speaking world.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Beats families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Beats 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. Angus leads with 14 Beats' recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.20x.

County Total Index
Angus 14 24.20x
Staffordshire 8 3.80x
Worcestershire 8 9.81x
Lanarkshire 7 3.47x
Somerset 6 5.97x
Warwickshire 6 3.81x
Lancashire 5 0.67x
Norfolk 2 2.08x
Surrey 2 0.66x
Yorkshire 2 0.32x
Kent 1 0.47x
Nottinghamshire 1 1.19x
Perthshire 1 3.57x
West Lothian 1 10.64x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dundee in Angus leads with 13 Beats' recorded in 1881 and an index of 60.21x.

Place Total Index
Dundee 13 60.21x
Dudley 8 80.73x
Wolstanton 8 125.00x
Aston 6 13.84x
Chelwood 6 20000.00x
Blackburn 5 25.37x
Govan 5 10.01x
Almondbury 2 66.89x
Lambeth 2 3.67x
Abernethy 1 270.27x
Barry 1 144.93x
Cromer 1 294.12x
Glasgow 1 2.79x
Great Dunham 1 1250.00x
Linlithgow 1 82.64x
Margate St John Baptist 1 25.64x
Maryhill 1 25.32x
Southwell 1 163.93x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Bosley 2
Caroline 2
Emma 2
Amelia 1
Anne 1
Cara 1
Eliza 1
Elizabeth 1
Harriet 1
Jane 1
Lilian 1
Louisa 1
Martha 1
Mary 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 4
William 3
Arthur 2
David 2
James 2
Robert 2
Edwin 1
Ernist 1
Henry 1
Horace 1
Peter 1
Thomas 1
Walter 1
Wilfred 1

Top occupations

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 Beats households.

FAQ

Beats surname: questions and answers

How common was the Beats surname in 1881?

In 1881, 64 people were recorded with the Beats surname. That placed it at #24,561 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Beats surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 126 in 2016. That gives Beats a modern rank of #26,686.

What does the Beats surname mean?

A surname derived from the French word "bête" meaning "beast" or "animal".

What does the Beats map show?

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