The Battle surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 26,432 people carried this name — #1,332 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 11,200 people counted. That is up 10% from 23,934 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Battle surname

A habitational surname from Middle English from places in England that have been sites of a battle.

Capitalization of battle.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Battle» (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 classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘at the battle’.

An early record he cites: Richard de la Batayle, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

His entry covers Battell and Battle.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 84 · public domain.

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 6 births for the Battle name in 1890.

Most were registered in Connacht. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 300 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “Sligo.”

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born, 1890

Connacht 6

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

In France’s civil register

France’s register of deaths holds 44 people named Battle.

9 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 11 départements, most often Pyrénées-Orientales.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born

Born outside France 9
Pyrénées-Orientales 15
Paris 5
Aude 4
Sarthe 3
Hérault 2
Vienne 1
Meurthe-et-Moselle 1
Lot 1

Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

49 families named Battle, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 282 people lived in those households, 5.8 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

Massachusetts 25
North Carolina 16
New Hampshire 3
Maine 2
Vermont 1
New York 1
Maryland 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

Battle in American newspapers,
1901–1917.

Newspaper page from Daily Kennebec Journal carrying the name Battle
Daily Kennebec Journal 1901-04-05
Newspaper page from The Vidette carrying the name Battle
The Vidette 1917-10-18
Newspaper page from The Grenada Sentinel carrying the name Battle
The Grenada Sentinel 1917-10-19

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 3,254 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Battle in Australian newspapers,
1830s–1990s.

9,960 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Battle. The most, 1,673, date from the 1930s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Tasmania, at 1.6 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 3,733
Queensland 2,351
Victoria 1,308
Tasmania 939
South Australia 876
Western Australia 513
ACT (Canberra) 201
Northern Territory 10

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

Who carried it

People named Battle,
with a public archive behind them.

  • William Horn Battle
    William Horn Battle 1802–1879 · judge
  • Joel Allen Battle
    Joel Allen Battle 1811–1872 · military officer
  • Cullen A. Battle
    Cullen A. Battle 1829–1905 · lawyer
  • Berenguer Battle d. 1349 · Catholic priest
  • James Smith Battle 1786–1854
  • William Smith Battle 1823–1915

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 Battle,
in the records of 6 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 States1,465 records

1,465 records of the Battle name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 620
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 332
  • Other U.S. records 513
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Ronald Kenneth Battle

    Born 1949; from Jacksonville, Florida. U.S. Marine Corps, assaultman; killed in action 1969 in Quang Tri, South Vietnam. Buried at Jacksonville National Cemetery, Florida.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Clarence W. Battle

    Born 1916 in South Carolina. Enlisted 1942 at Fort Dix, New Jersey; construction worker. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1993, buried at Calverton National Cemetery, New York.

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

    Arrived at New York in 1863 aboard the W.f. Storm from Liverpool, aged 25; servant. From Ireland; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 1,465 records for Battle in the United States.

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

Australia126 records

126 records of the Battle name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 46
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 39
  • Other Australian records 41
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Elizth Battle

    Arrived in Victoria in 1861 aboard the Ascendant, aged 25; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Robert Battle

    Died 1884 in Longford, Tasmania, aged 19.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record John Battle

    Turner of Glen Waverley, Victoria; died 1976.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 126 records for Battle 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). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

France26 records

26 records of the Battle 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 Raymonde Battle

    Born 1916 in Paris; died 1998 in Tours (Indre-et-Loire).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Joseph Mathieu Battle

    Born 1904 in Ornaisons; died 1988 in Lézignan-Corbières (Aude).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  3. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Dolores Amelina Battle

    Born 1892 in Paris; died 1976 in Montluçon (Allier).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 3 of 26 records for Battle 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).

Canada13 records

13 records of the Battle name in Canada
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 8
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 2
  • Other Canadian records 3
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Mich'l Battle

    Came to Ontario in 1865 aboard the Britania, landing at Portland, bound for Sunnidale, Ontario; Irish.

    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 Eva Battle

    Buried in 1986 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 93.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Albert Frederick Battle

    Died in service in 1918.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 13 records for Battle in Canada.

Counts: City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · 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. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. 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); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

United Kingdom3 records

3 records of the Battle name in the United Kingdom War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record W. Battle

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

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record E. Battle

    Labour Corps. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record A. Battle

    Northumberland Fusiliers. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

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

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Netherlands2 records

2 records of the Battle name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 1
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 1
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Joseph Marsters Battle

    Married in 1945 in Boxmeer.

    Open Archives, Brabants Historisch Informatie Centrum (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record Francijntie Battle

    Baptised in 1706 in 's-Hertogenbosch.

    Open Archives, Brabants Historisch Informatie Centrum (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Battle.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Battle 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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