Batts History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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

Early Origins of the Batts family

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