The Badger surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 7,987 people carried this name — #4,442 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 36,900 people counted. That is up 5% from 7,620 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Badger surname

A habitational surname from Old English.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Badger» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley explains it as ‘the badger’.

An early record he cites: Thomas le Baggere, Oxfordshire, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

His entry covers Badger and Bagger.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 72 · public domain.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Badger was found among the farmers of 2 counties.

It was most frequent in Warwickshire: 47 in every 10,000 farmers there — about 1 in 213. Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Warwickshire 47
Oxfordshire 35

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

74 families named Badger, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 423 people lived in those households, 5.7 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 2 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

New Hampshire 17
Massachusetts 17
Connecticut 17
Vermont 7
New York 5
Pennsylvania 4
South Carolina 4
Maryland 2
Rhode Island 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 228 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Badger in American newspapers,
1885–1905.

Newspaper page from Millheim Journal carrying the name Badger
Millheim Journal 1885-03-26
Newspaper page from The Sun carrying the name Badger
The Sun 1905-12-24
Newspaper page from El Paso Daily Herald carrying the name Badger
El Paso Daily Herald 1899-08-04

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 10,306 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Badger in Australian newspapers,
1830s–1990s.

24,556 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Badger. The most, 7,042, date from the 1910s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in South Australia, at 3.0 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

South Australia 8,222
Queensland 7,397
Victoria 3,888
New South Wales 3,057
Western Australia 1,468
Tasmania 424
ACT (Canberra) 68
Northern Territory 12

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Badger.

Who carried it

People named Badger,
with a public archive behind them.

  • William Badger
    William Badger 1752–1830
  • William Badger d. 1577 · politician
  • Richard Badger d. 1900 · pharmacist
  • Ellen Badger d. 1800
  • William Badger 1523–1629 · politician
  • Talbot Badger 1621– · politician

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Badger,
in the records of 9 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States812 records

812 records of the Badger name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 262
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 197
  • Other U.S. records 353
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Arthur J. Badger

    Born 1920 in Pennsylvania. Enlisted 1944 at Fort Lewis, Washington; apprentice machinist. U.S. Army Air Forces veteran of World War II; died 1965, buried at Willamette National Cemetery, Oregon.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Mary Badger

    Arrived at New York in 1885 aboard the Gallia from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 24; servant. From Galway, Ireland.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Thomas Albert Badger

    Born 1945; from Arnold, Missouri. U.S. Army, signal supply and parts specialist; killed in action 1968 in Binh Dinh, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 812 records for Badger in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL) · New York State, Open NY (police and firefighter memorial rolls). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Australia242 records

242 records of the Badger name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 129
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 46
  • Other Australian records 67
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record George Badger

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Triton, sailing from London in 1842. Native of Sheffield, Yorkshire.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Janet Badger

    Arrived in Victoria in 1886 aboard the Lusitania, aged 4; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Denis Ray Badger

    Gentleman of McKinnon, Victoria; died 1992.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 242 records for Badger in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Canada44 records

44 records of the Badger name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 20
  • City of Winnipeg cemetery records 11
  • Other Canadian records 13
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record S.a Badger

    Came to Ontario in 1880 aboard the Moravian, landing at Quebec, bound for Orangeville, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Mynor Elizabeth Frances Badger

    Died 1991, aged 81; buried at St. Vital Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record John Alexander Badger

    Died 1926 in Sydney Mines, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 44 records for Badger in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

United Kingdom22 records

22 records of the Badger name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 10
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 10
  • Other British records 2
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Daniel Badger

    Buried in 1814 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 45.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Alfred Bernard Badger

    Will proved in 1926; of Derby, Derbyshire.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record W. A. Badger

    Royal Warwickshire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 22 records for Badger in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain) · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand11 records

11 records of the Badger name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Thomas Badger

    Died 1885, aged 30; buried at Addington Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Jane Collins Badger

    Died 1959, aged 82; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Gordon Wilfred Badger

    Died 1978, aged 60; buried at Waimairi Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 11 records for Badger in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Ireland10 records

10 records of the Badger name in Ireland County Galway graveyard records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Paddy Badger

    Died 1960, aged 77; buried at Lackagh (Old), Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Jogn Badger

    Died 1974, aged 49; buried at Lackagh (Old), Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Margaret Badger

    Died 1969; buried at Lackagh (Old), Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 10 records for Badger in Ireland.

Counts: Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Netherlands4 records

4 records of the Badger name in the Netherlands Dutch population registers
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Preston Badger

    In the population register of Dordrecht; born 1888 in Ogden.

    Open Archives, Regionaal Archief Alkmaar (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register John Jamieson Badger

    In the population register of 's-Gravenhage; born 1902 in Lancaster.

    Open Archives, Haags Gemeentearchief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 2 of 4 records for Badger in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

France2 records

2 records of the Badger name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Catherine Elizabeth Badger

    Born 1912 in the United Kingdom; died 1992 in Rouen (Seine-Maritime).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 1 of 2 records for Badger in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Germany1 record

1 record of the Badger name in Germany Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Johann Bädger

    From Strom, Bremen. Reported dead in the Prussian casualty list of 16 October 1914.

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Badger.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Badger is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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