Betters History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Betters is Anglo-Saxon in origin. It was a name given to a coppersmith or a dealer in baterie. The surname Betters 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 Betters family

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

Early History of the Betters family

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

Betters Spelling Variations

Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Betters include Beater, Beeter, Beatere, Betere, Batere, Bettere and many more.

Early Notables of the Betters family (pre 1700)

Distinguished members of the family include Richard Batere, a prominent 12th century landholder in Berkshire; and Thomas Patrick Betterton (ca. 1635 - 1710), English actor buried in Westminster Abbey. He "was born in Tothill Street, Westminster, and was apprenticed by his father, who was under-cook to Charles I, to a bookseller. These are...
Another 53 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Betters Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Betters migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Betters were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records:

Betters Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Gerh Heinr Betters, who arrived in America in 1844 [1]
Hermanus Betters, who arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in 1847 [1]

Betters Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Phil Betters, aged 50, who arrived in New York in 1907 aboard the ship "Kronprinz Wilhelm" from Bremen, Germany [2]
Agnes Betters, aged 32, who arrived in New York in 1909 aboard the ship "United States" from Copenhagen, Denmark [3]

Contemporary Notables of the name Betters (post 1700) +

Harold Betters (1928-2020), American jazz trombone player who released nine LPs on Gateway Records, and three LPs for Reprise
Doug Betters (b. 1956), American football player for the Miami Dolphins from 1978 to 1987, First-team All-Pro (1983), NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1983)

Citations +

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)
"New York Passenger Arrival Lists (Ellis Island), 1892-1924," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JXKN-BMF : 6 December 2014), Phil Betters, 03 Sep 1907; citing departure port Bremen, arrival port New York, ship name Kronprinz Wilhelm, NARA microfilm publication T715 and M237 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
"New York Passenger Arrival Lists (Ellis Island), 1892-1924," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JF9M-56F : 6 December 2014), Agnes Betters, 16 Nov 1909; citing departure port Copenhagen, arrival port New York, ship name United States, NARA microfilm publication T715 and M237 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).