Show ContentsBetter History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Better

What does the name Better mean?

The ancient name of Better finds its origins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It comes from a name for a coppersmith or a dealer in baterie. The surname Better is possibly derived from the Old French word bateor, meaning one who beats, a term which has been applied to a beater of cloth or fuller. The surname may also be a short form of the word orbatour, which means a beater of gold.

Early Origins of the Better family

The surname Better was first found in Berkshire, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the Better family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Better research. Another 150 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1166, 1200, 1273, 1349, 1369, 1635, 1710 and 1777 are included under the topic Early Better History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Better Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Better family name include Beater, Beeter, Beatere, Betere, Batere, Bettere and many more.

Early Notables of the Better family

More information is included under the topic Early Better Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Better migration to the United States +

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Better surname or a spelling variation of the name include :

Better Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Jurg Better, who landed in New York in 1709 1
  • Johan Peter Better, who arrived in New York in 1709 1
  • Johannis Better, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1738 1
  • Henry Better, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1739 1
Better Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • H Better, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1803 1
  • Elizabeth Better, aged 39, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1805 1
  • Theodor Herm Better, who landed in America in 1837 1
  • Andrew Better, who arrived in Galveston, Tex in 1851 1
  • Armand Better, aged 28, who landed in Baltimore, Maryland in 1893 1


  1. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)


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