The ancestors of the Batts surname lived among the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. The name comes from when they lived 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]
The surname Batts 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]
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Batts research. Another 147 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1323, 1240, 1631, 1651, 1642, 1642, 1620, 1679 and 1655 are included under the topic Early Batts History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Batts include Batt, Batte, Bat, Batts, Baat and others.
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 Batts Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
In the United States, the name Batts is the 2,462nd most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. [6]
Some of the Batts 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.
A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants: