Beatty

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A family surname of Irish and Scottish origin, borne by several notable people in politics, the navy and film
2. A surname shared by various well-known figures, such as a famous naval admiral and a Hollywood actor
3. An Irish-derived family name carried by notable individuals across naval history, cinema and public life

Etymology: The surname Beatty has two separate origins, and the Irish one is a good example of how a family name can be shortened from a longer phrase. In Irish, Mac an Bhiadhtaigh means "son of the victualer," with "biadhtach" referring to someone who supplied food, or a hospitaller who ran a hospice. Over time the long Irish form was reduced and anglicized into the single familiar shape Beatty. The other route runs through a pet form of Bartholomew, the given name of one of Jesus's apostles. Diminutive forms of this kind were common in medieval Britain, and affectionate shortenings of Bartholomew produced surnames that were passed down as family names. So the same spelling can point to a Hebrew-derived personal name in one family and to an Irish phrase about food in another.