Baat History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The ancestors of the bearers of the Baat family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found as the nickname ‘the bat’ or as a petname of Bartholomew. "We have also to take into account the byname of a Winchester monk: Ælfricus qui Bata cognominabatur (c. 1051 Old English Bynames). This has given rise to various conjectures, none wholly satisfactory." 1

Bardsley feels the name is "derived from the name of an ancestor, 'the son of Bartholomew,' from the nickname Bate or Bat; v. Batson, Bate, and Batty, " 2 and Smith similarly agrees the name denotes "the son of Bate, a pet form of Bartholomew (son of Talmai, furrow); one of stout, heavy appearance." 3

Early Origins of the Baat family

The surname Baat was first found in Shropshire where William Bat was listed in 1170-1187. Herbert Bat was similarly listed there in the Pipe Rolls of 1182. 1 Another early record was Gerrard Bat who was Lord Mayor of London in 1240.

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included: Gilbert Batte, Rutland; Reginald le Bat, Essex; and Matilda Battes, Cambridgeshire 2 while in Somerset, Clarice Batte was recorded there 1 Edward III (during the reign of King Edward III.) 4

Early History of the Baat family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Baat research. Another 147 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1240, 1273, 1323, 1620, 1631, 1642, 1651, 1655 and 1679 are included under the topic Early Baat History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Baat Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Baat include Batt, Batte, Bat, Batts, Baat and others.

Early Notables of the Baat family

Distinguished members of the family include Anthony Batt (d. 1651), a Benedictine monk who resided for some years in the English monastery of his order at Dieulwart, in Lorraine. 5 M. Batt was a bookseller in London, 1642. His name occurs on several political pamphlets such as the...
Another 46 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Baat Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Baat family to Ireland

Some of the Baat family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 30 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Baat family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Baat or a variant listed above: Anne and Christopher Batt who settled in Massachusetts in 1635; Dorothie Batt settled in 1638 with five children; Elizabeth Batt settled in Barbados in 1660.

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print