The Beaton surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 4,462 people carried this name — #7,468 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 66,200 people counted. That is up 5% from 4,259 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Beaton surname

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a baptismal name, from a given name: ‘the son of Beatrice’.

An early record he cites: John Betun, Oxfordshire, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 88 · public domain.

In Scotland’s registers today

Beaton was recorded 56 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 461st most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 137. Each birth counts the child’s surname, each marriage both partners’ and each death the surname of the person who died — a yearly count of registrations, not of the people who live in Scotland.

National Records of Scotland, «Most Common Surnames, 2025» (published 26 May 2026): every surname recorded 10 or more times in the 2025 registers, and the series from 1975 · different spellings are counted separately — © Crown copyright 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

In print

Beaton in American newspapers,
1903–1921.

Newspaper page from The Paducah Evening Sun carrying the name Beaton
The Paducah Evening Sun 1907-11-25
Newspaper page from The Chesterfield Advertiser carrying the name Beaton
The Chesterfield Advertiser 1921-01-06
Newspaper page from Edgefield Advertiser carrying the name Beaton
Edgefield Advertiser 1903-08-19

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 115,692 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Beaton in Australian newspapers,
1830s–2000s.

26,519 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Beaton. The most, 4,641, 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 the Northern Territory, at 3.9 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 6,695
South Australia 5,145
Victoria 4,996
Western Australia 4,981
Queensland 3,025
Tasmania 1,115
ACT (Canberra) 343
Northern Territory 158

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

Who carried it

People named Beaton,
with a public archive behind them.

  • James Beaton
    James Beaton 1473–1539 · judge
  • David Beaton
    David Beaton 1494–1546 · politician
  • James Beaton
    James Beaton 1517–1603 · Catholic priest
  • Mary Beaton
    Mary Beaton 1543–1598 · lady-in-waiting
  • Barbara Ellen Terry d. 1983
  • Ernest Walter Hardy Beaton d. 1936

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 Beaton,
in the records of 7 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 States713 records

713 records of the Beaton name in the United States
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 323
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 127
  • Other U.S. records 263
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Alexander J. Beaton

    Born 1913 in Massachusetts. Enlisted 1943 at Boston; insurance salesman from Middlesex County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1990, buried at Massachusetts National Cemetery, Massachusetts.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Robert Louis Beaton

    Born 1943; from Mobile, Alabama. U.S. Army, infantryman; killed in action 1966 in South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Alexander Beaton

    Arrived at New York in 1885 aboard the Devonia from Glasgow and Moville, aged 43; laborer. From Inverness, Scotland; bound for New York.

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

Showing 3 of 713 records for Beaton in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · 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. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada2,012 records

2,012 records of the Beaton name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 1,860
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 50
  • Other Canadian records 102
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record Philip Beaton

    Killed in 1939 at the Bras d'Or No. 1 mine, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Wm Beaton

    Came to Ontario in 1881 aboard the Buenos Ayrean, landing at Quebec, bound for Bright, Ontario; Scotch.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Myrna Joy Beaton

    Buried in 1978 at Union Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 31.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.

Showing 3 of 2,012 records for Beaton in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); 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).

Australia833 records

833 records of the Beaton name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 398
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 218
  • Other Australian records 217
  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 Mary Beaton

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Aurora, sailing from London in 1851. Native of Ayrshire. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1852.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Colin Murdock Beaton

    Died 1917 in On Active Service, France, Tasmania. Will registered in Tasmania in 1917.

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

    Arrived in Victoria in 1853 aboard the Ganges Khan, aged 35; Scottish.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 833 records for Beaton 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) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · City of Ballarat, Avenue of Honour Plaques (CC BY 3.0 AU). 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); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

United Kingdom87 records

87 records of the Beaton name in the United Kingdom
  • Stirling Council burial records 50
  • Scottish rolls of honour, First World War 18
  • Other British records 19
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record Walter Beaton

    Born 1878 at Fort George; grocer. Died 1918. Named in the Morayshire roll of honour (1921). Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918 (Royal Scots).

    National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain); 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 James John Beaton

    Born 1889 at Ross-shire; farm servant. Served in the First World War. Named in the Morayshire roll of honour (1921).

    National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record James Beaton

    Died 1920, aged 69; buried at Bannockburn Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Showing 3 of 87 records for Beaton in the United Kingdom.

Counts: Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain) · 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. 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); Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

New Zealand27 records

27 records of the Beaton name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 25
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 1
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record George Beaton

    Died 1950, aged 84; buried at Bromley 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 William Henry Beaton

    Buried in 1949 at Totara Memorial Park Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 53.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Livre d’or of the French war dead, Paris
    Example: roll of the war dead
    War record R. Beaton

    New Zealand Infantry. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

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

Showing 3 of 27 records for Beaton in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Thames-Coromandel District 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); Livre d’or of the war dead, Paris, Ministère des pensions, Archives nationales (CC0).

Netherlands11 records

11 records of the Beaton name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 5
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 4
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 2
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Margaret Beaton

    Married in 1846 in Rotterdam.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Thomas Beaton

    Married in 1634 in Utrecht.

    Open Archives, Het Utrechts Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record William Beaton

    Baptised in 1733 in 's-Hertogenbosch.

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

Showing 3 of 11 records for Beaton in the Netherlands.

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).

France1 record

1 record of the Beaton 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 Alan Beaton

    Born 1920 in Great Britain; died 1996 in Nice (Alpes-Maritimes).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

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).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Beaton.

When the index is not enough

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