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Beattie History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Sources

Beattie History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland
Ireland

Etymology of Beattie

What does the name Beattie mean?

The Boernicians of the Scottish/English Borderlands spawned the name Beattie. It comes from Bate or Baty, diminutive forms of Bartholomew. Most sources claim the name is a metronymic derived from the name Beatrice, but really the name was more probably from "Bate or Baty, pet or diminutive forms of Bartholomew." 1

To confuse matters more, the name could also be from the Gaelic "biadhtach", which refers to a tenant granted land in return for feeding certain people chosen by the chief.

Regardless, the first record of the family was Gilbert fitz Beatrice who was living in the county of Roxburghe in 1296. He rendered homage to King Edward I upon his invasion of Scotland in that year. "Beatties and Beatsons were fairly numerous in Upper Eskdale, and In Ewesdale, and Wauchopedale. The name is also found in Berwick-on-Tweed as early as 1334." 1

Early Origins of the Beattie family

The surname Beattie was first found in Roxburghshire, where the name is a "well-known Border surname, commonly explained as a metronymic from Beatrice, but really from Bate or Baty, pet or diminutive forms of Bartholomew. (There was, however, a Gilbert fitz Beatrice of the county of Roxburghe who rendered homage for his lands in 1296 [to King Edward I of England], but of this name there is no further record). Beatties and Beatsons were fairly numerous in Upper Eskdale, and In Ewesdale, and Wauchopedale. The name is also found in Berwick-on-Tweed as early as 1334. The surname is also found early in the north, where we find John Betty admitted burgess of Aberdeen in 1473. Andrew Batie was burgess of Dumfries, 1567 and persons of the name of Batie were followers of the earl of Morton in 1585. William Baty was burgess of Moncrose in 1513, John Bety rendered to Exchequer the accounts of the same burgh in 1558, John Baty was prebendary of Lincloudane in 1565, Robert Bettie was burgess in Montrose 1635. " 1

Early History of the Beattie family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Beattie research. Another 196 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1473, 1513, 1558, 1565, 1567, 1574, 1585, 1597, 1603, 1620, 1635, 1735, 1742, 1749, 1768, 1771, 1774, 1787, 1789, 1790, 1793, 1803, 1806, 1807, 1808, 1809, 1817, 1818, 1831, 1840, 1842, 1875 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Beattie History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Beattie Spelling Variations

Scribes in the Middle Ages simply spelled according to sound. The result is an enormous number of spelling variations among names that evolved in that era. Beattie has been spelled Beattie, Beatty, Beaty, Beatie, Betay, Bety and others.

Early Notables of the Beattie family

Henry Beattie of Dysart
Robert Beattie of Montrose
William Beattie of Bervie
all of whom represented their Clan in Scottish Parliament. Later James Beattie (1735-1803), Scottish poet, is best remembered for his long poem "The Minstral" (1771-1774). He was born at Laurencekirk...

Beattie World Ranking

the United States, the name Beattie is the 3,230^th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 2 However, in Canada, the name Beattie is ranked the 914^th most popular surname with an estimated 5,908 people with that name. 3 And in Australia, the name Beattie is the 522^nd popular surname with an estimated 7,372 people with that name. 4 New Zealand ranks Beattie as 315^th with 1,931 people. 5 The United Kingdom ranks Beattie as 487^th with 13,293 people. 6

Migration of the Beattie family to Ireland

Some of the Beattie family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 270 words (19 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Beattie migration to the United States +

Most of the Boernician-Scottish families who came to North America settled on the eastern seaboard of what would become the United States and Canada. Families who wanted a new order stayed south in the War of Independence, while those who were still loyal to the crown went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. In the 20th century, the ancestors of these families have gone on to rediscover their heritage through Clan societies and other patriotic Scottish organizations. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Beattie or a variant listed above:

Beattie Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Miss Beattie, who arrived in South Carolina in 1772 7
Agnes Beattie who arrived in New York City in 1774

Beattie Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Andrew Beattie, who landed in New York, NY in 1816 7
Ann Beattie, who arrived in America in 1826 7
Janet Beattie, who landed in America in 1826 7
William Beattie, who landed in New York in 1835 7
Nelson Beattie, who arrived in New York in 1838 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Beattie Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

James Beattie, who arrived in Arkansas in 1900 7
Benjamin Beattie, who landed in New York, NY in 1905 7
Mr. Robert D. Beattie, (b. 1858), aged 47, Cornish mariner, from Liskeard, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Etruria" arriving at Ellis Island, New York in 1905 en route to Phoenix, Arizona, USA 8

Beattie migration to Canada +

Beattie Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Andrew Beattie, aged 23, a teacher, who arrived in Quebec aboard the ship "Atlas" in 1815
William Beattie, who arrived in Canada in 1821
Mr. Beattie, who landed in Victoria, British Columbia in 1862

Beattie migration to Australia +

Beattie Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Miss. Harriet Beattie, (b. 1818), aged 19 born in Cornwall, UK convicted in Cornwall on 24th March 1837, sentenced for 14 years for stealing money, transported aboard the ship "Platina" in 1837 to Van Diemen's Land, Tasmania, Australia 9
Ms. Harriet Beattie, (b. 1818), aged 19, Cornish settler convicted in Cornwall, UK on 24th March 1837, sentenced for 14 years for stealing a sovereign and a cotton shawl from John Mathews, transported aboard the ship "Platina" on 22nd April 1837 to Van Diemen's Land, Tasmania, Australia 10
Mr. Thomas Beattie, British Convict who was convicted in Edinburgh, Scotland for 10 years, transported aboard the "Asia" on 25th April 1840, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 11
Mr. Samuel Beattie, English convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 22 years, transported aboard the "Cressy" on 28th April 1843, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 12
Mr. George Beattie, Scottish convict who was convicted in Dumfries, Scotland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Equestrian" on 25th January 1844, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Island) 13
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Beattie migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Beattie Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Hugh Beattie, aged 26, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Anne Longton" in 1860 14
Hannah Beattie, aged 30, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Anne Longton" in 1860 14
Mrs. Beattie, Scottish settler from Arbroath travelling from Leith aboard the ship 'Melbourne' arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 18th March 1861 14
Mr. Andrew Beattie, Scottish settler from Arbroath travelling from Leith aboard the ship 'Melbourne' arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 18th March 1861 14
Mr. William Beattie, (b. 1837), aged 26, British labourer travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Lancashire Witch" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 13th October 1863 14
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Beattie (post 1700) +

Melody Lynn Beattie (1948-2025), née Valliancourt, American author of self-help books on codependent relationships
Robert Prime "Bob" Beattie (1933-2018), American skiing coach, skiing promoter and commentator for ABC Sports and ESPN, co-founder of the Alpine Skiing World Cup in 1966, head coach of the U.S. Ski Team from 1961 to 1969, inducted into the National Ski Hall of Fame in 1984
Ann Beattie (b. 1947), American short story writer and novelist
Herbert Beattie, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Illinois, 1908 15
Harold T. Beattie, American Republican politician, Candidate in primary for Michigan State Senate 1st District, 1964 16
Gladstone Beattie, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Florida, 1932 16
Dorothy Beattie, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Minnesota, 1956 16
David H. Beattie, American Republican politician, Presidential Elector for Vermont, 1880 16
Clark J. Beattie, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Michigan State House of Representatives from Lapeer County, 1942, 1944 16
... (Another 26 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Beattie family +

HMAS Sydney II

Mr. Eric Peter Beattie (1915-1941), Australian Stoker from Paddington, New South Wales, Australia, who sailed into battle aboard HMAS Sydney II and died in the sinking 16
Mr. Alexander Beattie (1915-1941), Australian Leading Stoker from Coogee, New South Wales, Australia, who sailed into battle aboard HMAS Sydney II and died in the sinking 17
Mr. Charles Beattie (1891-1917), British Stoker from Lancashire, who was aboard the ship "HMS Vanguard" when she exploded in the Scapa Flow off the Orkney Islands, Scotland on 9th July 1917
James Maxwell Beattie, Scottish-born, Australian coal miner who was killed in the Mount Mulligan Mine explosion in 1921
Mrs. Grace S Beattie, Canadian 2nd Class passenger from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 17
... (Another 6 entries are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Beattie Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Lumen coeleste sequamur
Motto Translation: May we follow heavenly inspiration.

Sources +

Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
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)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retreived 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 30th May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/tasmanian_convicts_cornish.pdf
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 30th May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_convicts.pdf
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th January 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1840
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 21st May 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/cressy
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 4th May 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/equestrian
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 27) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
HMAS Sydney II, Finding Sydney Foundation - Roll of Honour. (Retrieved 2014, April 24) . Retrieved from http://www.findingsydney.com/roll.asp
Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 7) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/