Show ContentsBatman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Batman is an Anglo-Saxon name. The name was originally given to a boatman. The surname Batman is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word bat, which means a boat. [1] In some cases, the name is also derived from the Old English word bate, which means one who contends, but this word is most often found as the root of the name Bater.

Early Origins of the Batman family

The surname Batman was first found in Herefordshire at Shobdon, a parish, in-the union of Leominster, hundred of Stretford. "The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £5. 7. 11.; net income, £764; patron, Lord Bateman. The church, which is the burial-place of the Bateman family, was partially rebuilt in 1757, by John, Viscount Bateman. The rent of several acres of land, and the proceeds of some minor benefactions, are distributed among the poor. " [2]

Old Hutton in Westmorland was another family seat. "Bleaze Hall, for several centuries the seat of the Batemans, was a large and elegant mansion, which still retains traces of its former consequence in a fine oak-wainscoted room, dated 1624." [2]

One of the first records of the family was William Bateman (1298?-1355), "Bishop of Norwich, who is also called, from his birthplace, William of Norwich. His father was one of the principal citizens of Norwich, having no less than eleven times filled the office of bailiff of the city (Norwich had no mayor till 1403), of which he sat as the representative in the parliament of 1326-1327." [3]

Early History of the Batman family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Batman research. Another 80 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1298, 1355, 1480, 1560, 1573, 1584, 1626, 1644, 1663, 1687 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Batman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Batman Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Batman has appeared include Bateman, Batman, Bademan, Badman, Pateman, Padman, Pademan and many more.

Early Notables of the Batman family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

  • Stephen or Stephan Batman or Bateman (died 1584) was an English translator and author from Bruton, Somerset. He was rector of Merstham, Surrey in 1573 and was Doctor of Divinity and parson of Newingto...

Ireland Migration of the Batman family to Ireland

Some of the Batman family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Batman migration to the United States +

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Batman arrived in North America very early:

Batman Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Tho Batman, who landed in Virginia in 1637 [4]
  • Thomas Batman, who arrived in Virginia in 1637 [4]
  • Roger Batman, who arrived in Virginia in 1660 [4]
  • William Batman, who landed in Maryland in 1662 [4]
Batman Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Peter Batman, who landed in New York, NY in 1815 [4]
  • Fred R Batman, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1840 [4]
  • Philip Batman, aged 34, who landed in Mobile, Ala in 1859 [4]
  • Winnie Batman, aged 3, who landed in America, in 1894
Batman Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Godfrey Batman, who landed in America, in 1918
  • Samuel Batman, who immigrated to America, in 1921
  • Charles Batman, aged 48, who immigrated to the United States, in 1924

Canada Batman migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Batman Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Mr. Samuel Batman U.E. who settled in Eastern District [Cornwall], Ontario c. 1783 [5]

Australia Batman migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Batman Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century
  • William and Mary Batman who landed at Sydney, Australia in 1797 aboard the ship "Ganges"
Batman Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Benjamin Batman, English convict who was convicted in Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Atlas" on 27th April 1833, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) [6]

Contemporary Notables of the name Batman (post 1700) +

  • Ira Coleman Batman (1862-1934), American jurist and politician from Lawrence County, Indiana, Member of the Indiana state legislature, and was a judge of the Indiana Appellate Court from 1916 to 1924
  • John Batman (1800-1840), Australian grazier, founder of Victoria Australia; his parents emigrated to Sydney in 1797 aboard the ship the Ganges and he was born in Rosehill, Parramatta, now a suburb of Sydney [7]
  • Daniel Batman (1981-2012), Australian sprinter who competed in the 2000 Summer Olympics, Australian national men's 200 metre champion in 2005 and 2008


  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  3. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  4. 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)
  5. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  6. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
  7. Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 6 June 2019


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