Surname Batchelder - Meaning and Origin

Batchelder: What does the surname Batchelder mean?

The last name Batchelder is an English occupational surname derived from the Old English term 'bacca' meaning 'maltster' or 'brewer.' This was an individual responsible for malting barley to convert it into malt, which is then used to make beer, ale, and whisky. The term 'heldre' then means 'maker' or 'doer;' therefore, Batchelder translates literally to 'maltster maker,' or 'brewer.'

The surname Batchelder first appears as 'Bacheldre' in the region of Sussex, England in the mid 13th century. From there, the surname spread across various areas of England, such as Derbyshire, Cambridge, Lancashire, and of course Wiltshire. In early records, the name is found spelled various ways, such as Batchillor, Bacheldor, Bachellor and Bacchelder.

By the 16th century Batchelder families began emigrating to the United States and colonizing in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York. Along with their new home in the colonies, the family brought along its longstanding traditions of brewing and distilling.

Today, the Batchelder name is quite common in the United States, with more than 80,000 people bearing the surname.

Batchelder: Where does the name Batchelder come from?

The last name Batchelder is today most prevalent in the eastern United States. According to surname data from the US Census, the name is especially common in New England, particularly Massachusetts and Maine. The name has its origins in Britain, where it was found in the parish registers of Devonshire and Wiltshire in the 1500s. It may have derived from an occupational surname meaning “Batchelor” or “Batcher” which indicated a person who batched grain.

Batchelder is such a common name in the eastern US that it is second only to Smith in terms of frequency. In Massachusetts, it is the 10th most popular name, while in Maine it is the 13th most popular name and in New Hampshire it is the 18th. The most densely populated area for this surname is Suffolk County, Massachusetts, where the name is the fourth most common. Other densely populated areas for this surname include York County, Maine; Cumberland County, Maine; Cheshire County, New Hampshire; and New Haven County, Connecticut.

The surname is also found in Canada, primarily in the provinces of Quebec and Ontario. However, it is much rarer there than in the United States.

Variations of the surname Batchelder

The variant spellings of the surname Batchelder are Batchelor, Bacheller, Batchilder, Bachelour, Batcheller, and Bachiler. All of these spellings originate from the same surname.

The Batchelder surname is of English origin, derived from the Middle English word “bacheler”, meaning “young man or knight”. The surname originally referred to a young man of high social status, such as a squire, or someone who was a leader of a troop of cavalry. It has since evolved to become a family surname among many English families.

The surname has also found its way into other countries, and is sometimes used as a variant spelling of the French-Canadian surname Bachellier. This surname was derived from the French word “bachelier”, meaning a knight. The surname is often found in Quebec, Canada.

Other variants of the Batchelder surname include Batchley, Batcheller, Batchlesty, Batcheller, Batcheler, and Batchilor. These spellings come from the name’s origin in England, and some of them may also be used in different cultures across the globe.

The Batchelder surname is also found in some Scottish families, where it is spelled as Batchel. Here, the spelling is derived from the Old English word “baccen”, meaning a hatchet or small axe. The Scottish variant of the surname, therefore, originally indicated a person who was skilled in the use of the axe.

Finally, the surname is also found in some Norwegian families, spelled as Bachellier. Here, the spelling is derived from the Old Norse word “bacht”, meaning an axe. Like the Scottish variant of the surname, this spelling originally indicated a skilled axe-user.

Famous people with the name Batchelder

• Charles Batchelder (1867–1946), American lawyer, judge and politician
• Easton Batchelder (1840–1922), American lawyer and politician
• Butch Batchelder (1946–2009), Major League Baseball relief pitcher
• Laurence Batchelder (1902–1987), American film and television cinematographer
• Floyd Batchelder (1863–1946), American composer and conductor
• Robert J. Batchelder (1914–2007), American politician
• Jack Batchelder (1895–1983), American football player
• A. J. Batchelder (1877–1941), American artist
• Eleanor Mayo Batchelder (1885–1987), American writer
• Edmund Batchelder (1883–1977), American art history professor and diplomat

Other surnames

BatchelerBatchelor