Show ContentsBater History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Bater is rooted in the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. It is a name for someone who worked as a coppersmith or a dealer in baterie. The surname Bater is possibly derived from the Old French word bateor, meaning one who beats, a term which has been applied to a beater of cloth or fuller. The surname may also be a short form of the word orbatour, which means a beater of gold.

Early Origins of the Bater family

The surname Bater was first found in Berkshire, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the Bater family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bater research. Another 150 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1166, 1200, 1273, 1349, 1369, 1635, 1710 and 1777 are included under the topic Early Bater History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bater Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Bater are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Bater include: Beater, Beeter, Beatere, Betere, Batere, Bettere and many more.

Early Notables of the Bater family

Distinguished members of the family include

  • Richard Batere, a prominent 12th century landholder in Berkshire


United States Bater migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Bater or a variant listed above:

Bater Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Charles Bater who arrived in Virgina in 1642
  • Charles Bater, who landed in Virginia in 1642 1
Bater Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Thomas Bater, who sailed to America in 1772
Bater Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Anna Maria Bater, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1804 1
  • Claus Bater, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1804 1
  • Samuel Bater, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1804 1
  • David Bater, who landed in Ohio in 1869 1
  • Thomas Bater, aged 49, arrived in New York in 1893 aboard the ship "Umbria" from Liverpool, England 2
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Bater (post 1700) +

  • Cafer Bater (1913-1994), Turkish watercolor painter
  • Arthur James Bater (1889-1969), English-born, Canadian politician and farmer, Member of the Canadian Parliament for The Battlefords (1949-1953)
  • Philip Thomas Bater (b. 1955), Welsh former professional footballer and current manager; he played for the Wales U21 National Team (1976-1977)
  • James Bater (b. 1980), Welsh former rugby union footballer, member of the Wales National Team (2003-)
  • Ryan Bater, Canadian politician, Mayor of the city of North Battleford, Saskatchewan (2016-)
  • James Bater, Adjunct Professor, department of Geography at University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada


  1. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  2. Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result


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